Let Me Show You
by Sexy Ninja Muffin
Summary: HIATUS OF DOOM! Probably not really but I'll fix/edit/make it less crappy at some point. Check out Reminscent!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Okay, to be honest with you, this is more of a prequel for something I want to write. Not that I have much of anything really planned out in my head. I'm sort of just letting the story play out in my head. Giving a few lines to a character and imagining how they would react. Although It's hard for me to figure it out. I want Sephiroth to act one way but I know he wouldn't. I'm trying to find medium ground here. I want him to submit to Aeris's thoughts. But at the same time, I know he wouldn't. Not so easily, anyway.

And yes, I'm using "Aeris" not "Aerith". I don't have anything against Aerith but I'm really attached to Aeris. Obvious reasons, speculate on your own.

While I was writing this, I had no idea what to call it. I may change the title if something sounds better.

I have plans in my head right now for a few things. So that's why it's rated M. That and language. Language is fun. Can you have Cid or Barret without cursing? Of course not!

**DISCLAIMER**

Final Fantasy VII, the story and characters within are all owned by SquareEnix Co. I am not making profit off this. Anyone who tries to make profit off SE will find there is no point. Did you hear about the Chrono Trigger Sequel some guys were making? SE didn't bother them UNTIL they found out they were actually going to CHARGE for it. Ha! Really guys? I heard they took everything they had made so far. Maybe they'll do their own sequel, ionno.

* * *

People change. There is good in everyone, it just takes someone special to bring it out in them. Aeris had always believed that . Her philosophy never changed. She even put this into Sephiroth, trying hard to win him over.

She had been praying to Holy. Praying to save the Planet, Gaia, that she loved so dearly. It called to her, crying. It's wounds were so deep. It needed help. Aeris had heard it's plea and answered it bravely knowing fully well she would not make it through this journey. But she had to do it. Her life meant little compared to that of everyone and everything on Gaia. And then she sensed him. She _felt_ him there, in the Forgotten City with her. It sent chills up her spine. Her heart stopped. This was it, she was going to die.

But, anyone who knew Aeris knew she was not about to give up. Not that easily. She was willing to sacrifice her life to save her planet but Aeris Gainsborough was not about to allow this man to kill her without trying to stop him. To make him see the errors of his ways.

Cloud Strife was standing there, dumbfounded. He felt it as well. Tifa Lockhart and Vincent Valentine not far behind. She shook her head. She would not wait for them to arrive to help her, it would be too late. No, she would do this herself.

"Sephiroth!" she called out. "Show yourself. Act like the man you are or _God_ you claim to be and stand here before me! Before you strike me down!" Inwardly she cursed herself. She knew this was no less dangerous than poking a sleeping bear with a stick. Perhaps she should have taken this time to make an escape rather than provoke him.

Aeris closed her eyes, waiting to be impaled. She heard the air moving past Sephiroth as he began coming down from his hiding spot. Her friends behind her gasped and she only held her hand up to silence them. '_Que sera sera, yes? Whatever will be will be._' She stretched her arms out, as if inviting him to do away with her. His feet landed hard on the ground. Aeris dared not to open her eyes. He hadn't stabbed her...?

"What is it, Cetra?" he said mockingly. "Tell me your final words before I strike you down." Slowly her eyes opened and they were fixated on his. Returning her arms to her sides, she tried to look brave. Inside she was shaking like a tiny leaf clinging to a tree in a strong wind.

"Sephiroth..." she started. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, his patience fleeing._ 'What can I say? Words are not enough to stop him.'_ Vincent's story popped into her mind. _'Lucrecia Crescent' _"Your Mother is not Jenova!" He scoffed. "You were conceived out of love, Sephiroth, not science!"

This angered him. "You know little, Cetra. My Mother-"

"Loved you more than her own life! Jenova has never professed such love, has she? She is only filling you with empty promises of Godhood. In the end she will kill yo-"

"Enough!" he screamed at her. "You know not of what you are speaking, little girl. Mother will give me this Planet and I will become a God. Then I shall smite every one of you useless, insignificant beings." He raised his arms above his head and laughed. Aeris's eyes filled with tears.

Sephiroth enjoyed this. "Do you cry because you are about to die?"

"No... I cry because..." she stepped forward and took his hand in hers, placing it to her chest. "You have never known a Mother's love as I have. If I could give you that... if I could show you how much Lucrecia loved you with my life I would gladly hand it to you. I was blessed to have Ifalna and Elmyra to love me." The tears rolled down her cheeks.

This puzzled Sephiroth. "You are a fool!" he pulled his hand away, as though her soft skin was covered in spines, leaking poison into him. "No one would give their life for 'love'." While he spoke these words to the young woman, something deep inside him stirred. He tried to push it aside but it began to nag at him.

Aeris lowered her head and knelt on the ground. _'She means it...? Fool!' _Sephiroth smirked and raised his Masamune above her head, preparing to fell her in one blow. Her friends screamed, frozen in place by fear. But something stopped him. He couldn't bring himself to kill her.

_**'What are you doing? Kill the Ancient!' **_Jenova cried into his mind. He shook his head. Why couldn't he do away with her? She meant nothing to him and even if she had, he wouldn't care.

"Why would she want you to be a God anyway... there is nothing in it for her." Aeris murmured with her head bowed to him. " A real Mother would only want you to be happy. But not like that."

Sephiroth was infuriated. _**'KILL HER.' **_Jenova yelled. _'Why? She is of no value..'_ he questioned. He was met with a sudden pain in his head as though he had been hit by a wooden bat. _**'You DARE to question me, your MOTHER?'**_ He shook his head and took a step back.

In all of his internal arguing he hadn't noticed Aeris stand up. By the time he had, she was nearly nose to nose with him. Her eyes stared deep into his as if they were gazing upon his very soul, the soul he professed not to have.

"Sephiroth..." she spoke softly. Her mind had no idea what she was doing or why. If her goal had been to simply delay him, she had succeeded. Now was the time to flee. Take her life and run with it. Not to be the lamb dancing before the wolf. Instead, she reached her hand up to his cheek, closed her eyes and pressed her lips gently to his. More tears fell from her eyes and left stains as they rolled down her cheek.

**~End Chapter One~**

Uh yeah, like I said. It's hard to write this story AND keep Sephiroth in character. It just isn't going to happen. But I guess that's the great thing about fanfiction, you can do whatever the hell you want! Yay! So if I wanna put Sephy in a bright pink tutu, I will damn well please. Hm. That is actually quite appealing.

Anyway, if you liked it, review. If you didn't, please tell me why without making a complete ass of yourself. Constructive criticism. I have never proclaimed to be a great writer, I am doing this because I have a story running around in my head and if I can put it onto paper (or onto my laptop in this case) maybe I will get some sleep at night. If you have something to say that will help me write well or just a nice tip, please share. But no bashing or flaming. It's rude and unnecessary.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much for your review, Maria! I am so happy you liked reading my story. I was unsure if anyone was going to like it so it makes me really really happy someone did! I'm going to try to write this next chapter a bit longer.

One thing I think I need to be sure to include is more of the other characters. I am centering this around Aeris and Sephiroth but that doesn't mean the other characters are going to be excluded or anything. But I am unsure as far as the extent of which to include them. I mean, if Aeris and Sephiroth decide to go someplace, just the two of them, should I focus solely on them or should I pop back and check on the group? I'm not sure. And I also need to describe more, for sure. I mean, this story is pretty straight forward as it is. I guess that isn't a bad thing. Some people only like reading the dialogue of the characters and not so much the other stuff. But there are those who love reading everything because it makes a great movie in their head. As for me, I'm more of an in between person. I like a fair amount of dialogue and a good amount of everything else. But if there's nearly no speaking from the characters I might get bored. I'm silly like that, I suppose.

**DISCLAIMER**

Read the first chapter if you need to see the disclaimer. I don't know the need of having to put it in every chapter except to up your word count. Which is explanation is clearly doing.

* * *

For one short moment, Sephiroth stood there. Almost enjoying Aeris's soft lips against his. Her warm hand on his chilled cheek. He wanted to embrace her. Maybe even kiss her back. The images in his head played for him and for the briefest second, he considered acting upon them.

**_'SEPHIROTH!'_** Jenova screeched. His trance broken, he realized what was actually going on.

Sephiroth pulled away from her and raised his hand. Aeris's eyes grew wide and frightened. He slapped her cheek as hard as he could, putting all his muscle into it. She flew backwards, tiny drops of blood splattering the marbled ground, landing just ahead of Cloud's feet. Tifa ran ahead to hold her friend, wanting to be sure she was alright.

"Sephiroth, you coward!" Cloud yelled, raising his sword. Sephiroth only chuckled.

"A coward, am I?" he sneered. He enjoyed it greatly when Cloud and his little band of fools called him such things out of the anger they felt for him. He felt their hate rising from them as though it were heat. Of anyone he ever wanted to kill, this group of people were near the top of his list. Not because they wanted to stop him from accomplishing his goal or because of the trouble they were trying to cause him. He wanted to slaughter these people just because they loathed him so. Although he would not do so in such a quick way. No, he would make it slow. Take away what they loved and cherished most. Torture them in any fathomable way. Make them wish they were dead. He raised his arms above his head and let out a loud, booming laugh.

Then he thought for a moment. He had considered killing them all right now. More of Cloud's group was showing up, no doubt realizing their companions were gone. Everyone of them had their weapon drawn and ready to attack. _'Not that they would get far,'_ Sephiroth mused. Even at their full strength, they would not be able to take him down. They would be willingly handing their lives away. _'But... if I allow them to live, they may prove to grant me amusement.. or even become useful.'_ He stared at Cloud and smiled. Sephiroth took another step backwards. They were all so weak compared to him. They would stand no chance should he decide to attack. He almost wished they would. He kept playing back and forth if he wanted them to live or to die here. His eyes fell on the Cetra laying on the ground. Her eyes showed fear and something else. _'Pity?'_ he thought. Why should she pity him? She should pity herself for her future would soon be cut short by his blade. _'Unless... what she said about Mother...' _

**_'Was a LIE.' _**Jenova seemed to be growing impatient. **_'Leave NOW, Sephiroth. There is no need for us to stay. You may kill them another day.' _**This hit him for a loss. Why should he not kill them now? They were all in one place, it would be so easy. He sensed something else in Jenova's thoughts but he dared not to explore it further. Instead, he gathered his full strength and leaped upwards toward the exit of the tiny Altar. "For now, you shall live but only a short time!" he yelled as he left their vision.

Everyone turned their attention to Aeris whose cheek was draped in blood. Tifa had been trying to stop it but her attempts seemed in vain. Tifa's hands were covered in a sickeningly beautiful crimson. while she held her hand to Aeris's cheek. She wanted desperately to stop the bleeding.

Aeris was pale. She was paying no mind to the constant gushing of blood or her friends. Her thoughts remained stapled on Sephiroth. Yes, he was her enemy. And he would kill her the next chance he got. She was lucky to have avoided it thus far. But the way she angered him she would be lucky to live through the night. Cloud bent down and scooped her up in his arms. She had only enough energy to look at him. "Cloud..." she muttered before her eyes closed.

* * *

When Aeris finally awoke, she was in a strange place. It was dark and quiet. Her eyesight was still blurry and she was having a hard time adjusting to the room. She placed her hand on her bandaged cheek and sighed. _'At least the bleeding stopped... but it's going to leave a mark.' _She chuckled. _'I think the last thing I need to be thinking about is a scar on my cheek!' _She couldn't help but laugh. Something so superficial and insignificant as a silly scar was the first thing to pop in her head? She must be losing her mind.

She sat up and began to look around her current room. The window was open and a nice, warm breeze was blowing through. It ruffled her hair and she smiled. If only life was this simple. Sitting in a room and the only care in the world was if the knickknacks got dusty. She envied that. The life of a home maker. A wife and mother. Something she probably would never live to have. Her mission was to protect the planet, nothing more.

Aeris fell back onto her pillow and sighed. It would do no good to pity herself now. She could wish she had been born anything but what she was but what would that accomplish? Feeling sorry for yourself gets you nowhere. Turning her head to the side, she saw her ribbons and Materia sitting on the nightstand. No doubt that Tifa had been the one to get her settled into the room. Her dress hung on a hook on the far side of the room. She was clothed in a cotton nightdress that hugged her curves and stopped just above her knees. Something she normally would never have worn but beggars cannot be choosers, as the saying goes.

The rest of the house was quiet. Everyone else was probably already asleep, she concluded. Her eyes were fully adjusted to the darkness and she realized this was definitely Cloud's little Villa in Costa del Sol. That made her a little more comfortable at least. She was certain that at least her friends would be keeping guard for Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth..." she whispered. She clearly remembered kissing him before he had slapped her. "I suppose that is better than stabbing me but still..." she sighed and curled up into a fetal position. Aeris pitied him so much. He had been lied to all his life. Told his Mother was half a body hidden in a Mako Reactor in some place. It was hard to imagine. And then to have that thing, Jenova, brainwash him into thinking he needed to become a God? All his life he had probably wanted a Mother. Someone to love him unconditionally and be there for him. So it was no wonder that he was doing everything she asked of him. He wanted to be loved. He probably didn't even want to be a God really.

"If only he would believe me... but how can I show him? Telling him did no such good, not that I expected it to. There must be something I can do. Oh, this is so unfair!" She hit the bed out of frustration. No, life is not fair. But this is some sort of ridiculous. She felt so powerless. So badly did she want to save the Planet. And if that meant killing Sephiroth, so be it. But she wanted him to choose for himself. Not to have Jenova tell him. Aeris wanted to be sure that there was no good deep inside Sephiroth. She did not want to kill a soul like that. He would have to answer for his actions but if he is truly a good person, why should he need to die as well? Every life is precious, is it not? "Ugh!" she cried, this time kicking the bed.

Then suddenly, somewhere, she heard a faint voice. "Who is it?" she asked meekly. Part of her was frightened but another part of her needed to know what that was. She stood up slowly and moved to the window, hoping to hear a little better.

"...ou c... ng... is...!" the voice whispered. It sounded weak, tired. Aeris rushed to the bedroom door and threw it open. She ran as fast as she could while still remaining quiet to the door of the Villa. The voice grew only slightly louder. It was calling her to it.

Nothing holding her back, Aeris ran through the little beach town at full speed, passing people left and right. They all looked at her as though she were insane. A young woman running through a town in the dead of night in a skimpy nightdress. But she paid them no mind. Her focus was finding this voice. Every step it grew louder and stronger but it was still breaking up. She couldn't make full words from it.

And then Aeris halted. A bright light stood in her path. It was an orb just floating there. She was unsure if she should go toward it or run back to her friends.

"Aeris," the light spoke. "You have come, I am so glad. I had feared you would not."

Aeris was dumbfounded. "I heard you.. and something inside me said I needed to follow your voice. But who... or what are you?"

"I amLucrecia_._ Or rather, I am the soul of her." Aeris's mouth dropped open. "I have been watching you and your friends. And my son. I watched your bravery, my dear. I saw how desperately you wanted him to believe you. It pains me so much to see him suffer as he is." Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"Lucrecia.. What can I do? I cannot stop him, he is too powerful. As it is, I should not be alive right now." Tears welled up in her eyes, remembering the blade that had been meant to kill her.

The orb seemed to smile although it had no face. "I know. But as you may recall he did not kill you. You can change him, Aeris. I believe you can. Have faith in my son and in yourself." There was flash of light and the orb was gone.

Aeris fell to the ground, her legs exhausted. "But how..." she asked to the darkness. Lucrecia said that she could change Sephiroth but didn't tell her what it would take. Words obviously would do no good. An action? Her kiss was met with hostility and anything else would take love... "I can't love someone like that. He may have good in him but..." Was he not worthy of love? Aeris always believed everyone deserved happiness and love so what made The Great Sephiroth any different? She shook her head.

It wasn't that he did not deserve love. But deserve hers? _'I sure do think highly of myself if I believe that.' _she snorted. She moaned in frustration, placing her hands over her face. _'It isn't that either! It's... I don't know what it is!'_

She was not alone, however. A dark figure emerged slowly, the pale moonlight shining onto his silver hair. He had an evil smirk on his face. "Whatever are you contemplating, little Cetra, all by yourself in the darkness?" Aeris gasped and tried to flee but it was to no avail. Sephiroth had grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him. "You are foolish to think you could escape me." His cold eyes stared into hers. Her body started to tremble under his gaze.

**~End Chapter Two~**

Okay it's a little bit longer than the first chapter. But I think there is a lot more here as well. I was able to go where I wanted to in this chapter and said what I needed. It's still a lot shorter than I wanted it and I am a little disappointed but at the same time, I don't know where else I can really have them go. I have plans for the next chapter though!

About the whole light ball thing.. when I decided to bring Lucrecia into the story, I originally wanted Aeris to go to the cave. But then I remembered that takes a sub. I don't think Aeris knows how to drive a sub...if she does then she's way cooler than I thought. But I still needed her in the story so this was the best way I could come up with. Without doing a dream sequence. And I didn't want to have Aeris learn she can "save Sephiroth" from a dream!

Please forgive me if I made mistakes as far as the story line of the game. It's been awhile since I've played it all the way through. And I've only recently restarted it, too (Just got to where they are gonna blow up the plate). So if something is inaccurate, forgive me. But at the same time I'm heading into a whole new direction with this story compared to the game. So maybe the game story doesn't matter as much? Anyway, enough of my babbles! Please read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

I like writing these notes, don't I? Haha :P Thank you again Maria! You are really encouraging me to continue writing! And your English is wonderful! As long as one reader likes my story, I will continue it. And thank you too Chris for your encouragement! I hope you both enjoy this chapter.

This chapter will be written while my son is watching Spongebob. I might put Toy Story back in, though. Because I am not too sure that Spongebob's voice will benefit my writing. Or my brain.

So to start off, I am thinking for this chapter I am going to start by focusing on the other characters for a little bit. I don't know how far I can really stretch this so if it ends up short, Aeris and Sephypoo may appear in the end. And man guys, going slow like this is killing me! When I think of this story I think of what is going to really make it M rated and it's so fluffy and I wanna write that too! Maybe I'm silly :P

**DISCLAIMER**

Read Chapter One.

* * *

Tifa closed the bedroom door as quietly as she could. She had taken care of Aeris as far as dressing the wound, which wasn't as bad as the blood made it seem, and changing her clothes to something that wouldn't bother her as she slept. Tifa was always the more mothery of the whole group. But she enjoyed it, it felt like her calling. She brushed her hair back behind her ear and sighed. Today had been a very unusual day. Almost losing one of her friends and then what she actually _did_. She just didn't understand the flower girl's motive. Was she trying to distract him? It didn't really seem to work. In fact, it only made him angry. Aeris was fortunate to have survived with only a slap of his hand and the scar she would no doubt have.

Then Tifa stopped for a slight moment. _'It isn't that he's bad looking though..'_ His long silver hair alone could make a girl have fantasies. But then his muscular body and his face... she couldn't really blame Aeris for kissing him. In a different life Sephiroth and Aeris would make an adorable couple. _'And then children...'_ Tifa chuckled and shook her head. All appearances aside, Sephiroth was the enemy and Aeris would more than likely be the aim of future attacks because of this bold stunt.

From the kitchen she heard her friends talking quietly. She walked into it and looked at them all as they looked to her, hoping she had good news. "Well, she is comfortable and sleeping soundly. But.. I just don't get it..." She took a chair next to Yuffie. She rested her elbow on the table and her head on top of it. Tifa sighed heavily.

"Don't get what, Tif?" the young ninja questioned. She had only arrived at the end of the confrontation with Sephiroth and had not been privy to the kiss.

Cid placed his hand on her shoulder. "She means why Aeris kissed that sonava bitch." Yuffie opened her mouth to say something but Cloud gave her a look that said "Don't you dare". The girl immediately turned her head to an seemingly interesting spot on the table.

Tifa looked to Cloud, hoping he would have some idea what the flower girl was thinking. Cloud himself was at a complete loss. He cared deeply for Aeris. He wouldn't admit his feelings to himself, however. But when he looked at her, his heart fluttered. And when she looked back at him, he couldn't help but smile at her. She was something special. And the thought of losing her today made him realize that. In just one moment, she could have been gone forever. But instead she _kissed_ him. That was what he was stuck on. She kissed their enemy, the man who would have killed her with one short motion of that Masamune.

Cloud looked to Tifa. Their eyes met and she smiled. _'Tifa...'_ The way she looked at him was how a puppy looks at his beloved master. For one brief moment Cloud could have sworn he saw tears well up in her eyes before she turned her head away. He mentally kicked himself. He knew Tifa cared for him as well. He had known the fighter for years although they may have not been so close. But now, she was not that little girl. She had grown into a very beautiful woman. He studied her. The way her hair fell gently onto her shoulders now was simply beautiful. She did not have it tied as she usually did. This gave her much more of a relaxed look. Her gloves and boots were off and his eyes traced her slender fingers, noticing that she kept her nails a little longer. _'Seems impractical.'_ he thought. His mind imagined those nails going through his hair and tracing up his back...

Cloud shivered. This was not the time to be thinking thoughts like that! His thoughts flew back to Aeris... Aeris kissing Sephiroth. That made him so angry. He just couldn't imagine why she would want to kiss _him_. Vincent's metal arm clicking against the wall shook Cloud from his thoughts. "What is the plan?" Vincent.. always right to the point.

"The plan is to continue. Aeris may or may not have prayed successfully to Holy. But we can't count on it. We have to stop Sephiroth ourselves." The group nodded in unison.

And then Yuffie piped in. "What about Aeris? Maybe she has feeli-" Cloud's fist on the table told her ton just stop right there.

"We will protect Aeris from him. Someone needs to be on constant vigilance." Cloud spoke firmly. Tifa sighed softly. Somewhere deep inside her, she wondered if what Yuffie said may have been right. Maybe Aeris did feel something for Sephiroth? Tifa always believed in love at first sight but to fall in love with the enemy. She snorted, _'I kinda doubt that!'_ At the same time, she kind of envied that boldness in Aeris. To just walk up and kiss someone. Tifa couldn't even tell Cloud that she loved him.

"Well, I am headin' ta bed. 'Night." Barret stood up and practically tiptoed past Aeris's room into the the other bedrooms. Cloud nodded to him.

"Barret has the right idea. Everyone, go to sleep." One by one they all exited the room and went to their various prefered sleeping areas. Tifa was the last to leave, shutting the light off as she left. She saw Cloud standing by an open window, gazing out into the ocean. "Cloud?" she said softly.

He looked back at her and gave her a weak smile. She walked up next to him and placed her elbows on the window sill. "Hey Tifa..." he whispered. They were so close to Aeris's room and he did not want to interrupt her rest. "You don't... think she cares for him?"

Tifa's heart just about jumped. "Aeris care for Sephiroth?" She weighed this carefully. She was aware of Cloud's feelings about Aeris and it would be easy to give him the wrong idea and have him all to herself. But that just wouldn't be right. "I really don't know, Cloud. I wouldn't kiss the enemy, that's for sure. My kisses are reserved."

Cloud chuckled. "Reserved, eh? Was there some sort of line?" She shot him a silly look.

"Why yes, there is. But right now, the line is down to one."

"Ah.. I see." Tifa noted he almost look a little sad. Maybe he didn't understand?

Tifa sighed deeply. She while she wasn't going to say she thought Aeris liked Sephiroth to win Cloud's favor she could at least say something to him about her own feelings. But how? The thought made her blush. Maybe she would wait but for how long? What if it was their last night together? She may never get another chance. But the words just wouldn't form. Saying 'I love you, Cloud' just seemed so difficult right now.

"Cloud..." He looked at her. Tifa's cheeks were still a shade of pink. A tear escaped her eye and Cloud looked at it with wonder, as if he had never seen a tear before. He reached out and wiped it away as it began rolling down her cheek. She studied his eyes, he was very intent on this droplet of salty water. She took this chance to wrap her arms around his neck, flushing a bright shade of red, and kissed him.

She couldn't help but let tears escape her eyes. She waited for the moment he would push her away and storm off. But she secretly wondered if he would find those tears as interesting as the one before. When he didn't pull away she began to open her eyes but felt his arms move over her back and embrace her tightly. His strong arms around her fairly slender frame. She continued to cry but this time it was out of happiness. He was holding her.. and kissing her back. Tifa pressed her body into his and he reacted by holding her tighter. "Mmm," was all she had managed to say. His lips tasted so good, his smell was so intoxicating. When he finally pulled his lips apart from hers she felt sad. She wanted them back so badly but at the same time she was unsure if he really meant to kiss her or if he was kissing her with Aeris in his thoughts.

He stared at her intently. Her cheeks were flushed and stained with tears. Cloud did not understand why she would be crying unless he hurt her in some way. He watched her bite her lip and look down to her feet. This would not do. No, she would not kiss him and then hide her face. He pulled her chin back up so he could see her eyes. They were filled with so many emotions. Love, need, hurt, desire... he didn't know one woman could feel so many things after a simple kiss. But hurt, that was the one that bothered him the most. He got angry. He pulled her hands off his neck and took one, pulling her quickly to his own room where no one else dared to go.

Tifa wasn't sure if she should follow him or make him leave her there. She hadn't been expecting a kiss back, she was expecting rejection. But now this? Was she ready for _this?_As they entered his room Tifa paused. She loved Cloud, did she not? Then why not?

Cloud picked her up and laid her gently on the bed. _'This is so unlike him...'_ He kissed her again, this time with more of his own need. It almost scared Tifa how forward he was being. She kissed him back just as hard. His arms wrapped around her tightly, pressing his body into hers. She heard him take his boots off but didn't pay it much attention. She was far too intent on his lips. She hadn't noticed his hand sliding up her shirt or him taking is own clothes off. He only broke their kiss to take her shirt off.

"N-no, Cloud... wait please.." It pained her greatly to say those words. But she realized she just wasn't ready for this. She wanted him as badly as he obviously wanted her but she just wasn't ready for it.

Cloud froze, realizing what he'd done. His clothing for the most part was scattered about the floor along with her shirt and skirt. He hadn't realized how quickly he'd done this and he cursed himself. _'I probably scared the hell out of her... dammit!' _

He looked deep into her eyes. "I am so sorry Tifa..." she reached up and pulled his head down to her naked chest, cradling him.

"Cloud, it's okay.. I should have said something. I just.." she flushed bright red. "I uh... haven't... done this before, really..." she looked away, thankful her hair was covering her face.

Cloud looked up at her and smiled. He honestly never thought about that. Looking back on it, he believed her completely. She never really struck him as the promiscuous type so it shouldn't surprise him as much as it seemed to. And then he cursed himself again. _'A girl's first time is supposed to be special..dammit, nothing like this. I'm such an idiot!'_

Tifa began running her fingers through his hair. It seemed to relax him a little bit. "But I like this, Cloud. This is okay for now.." Somewhere in her mind she still wondered if he was thinking about Aeris when he kissed her. She sighed, why bother worrying about that now? Instead she continued stroking his hair. At least she could enjoy this.

**~End of Chapter Three~**

So as some of my friends know, I wrote myself into a place I didn't want to be. I don't want there to be any M Rated happenings...yet. So I stopped it in an interesting way. Yeah, I don't really picture Tifa a virgin but at the same time, she doesn't really act like a slut really. Eh, anyway. Hope you guys liked this chapter. Next time we will go back to Aeris and Sephiroth!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

So I am writing this just a few hours after publishing the third chapter. Did you guys like it? It's kinda strange, like I said. I just was writing and thought I'd leave it at a kiss. Then I remembered when Aeris snuck out, everyone was asleep so that didn't work, did it? So anyway, onward.

* * *

Aeris did not try to pull away. Sephiroth was so much stronger than she was that she thought it better to just stand there. His eyes bore straight into her soul. It made her so uncomfortable being this close to him. She hadn't noticed his Masamune with him but that didn't mean it wasn't nearby. For all she knew, he could make it materialize out of nowhere. Most of who and what Sephiroth was exactly remained a mystery to Aeris. He was a mystery to almost everyone, even himself for that matter. He only knew what he read in research papers and test results. Beyond that, he didn't know what he was. Not Cetra, not human... or was he?

Aeris tried hard not to look at him. But his eyes were such a beautiful shade of green that they simply captivated her, almost demanding that they be looked at. The color was no doubt a result of the showering of Mako or even from the Jenova cells but that did not make them any less lovely. It was difficult to stop looking at Sephiroth. He may kill her in mere moments but he was so handsome. The way his hair lightly flowed in the gentle breeze. His eyes, sculpted muscles... Aeris gulped. He was simply breath taking. But was this really the time to be gawking at her attacker?

Sephiroth raised his hand to her bandaged cheek, recalling how hard he had slapped her. He hadn't realized she needed a bandage or anything, he really didn't think he had slapped her that hard. He pulled the dressing off, causing her to wince slightly. There was a visible scar that seemed so out of place. Perfect skin, perfect complexion, creamy color... a scar didn't belong with any of her lovely features. He inwardly regretted the action, hoping the scar would fade away and not be noticeable. He hadn't wanted to leave her with something so permanent but he had been so angry. Then he suddenly wondered why he even cared of her appearance? Yes, the way the moonlight caught her green eyes was beautiful and her auburn hair was captivating. But he intended to kill her, did he not? So why should he really care? Unless he wanted her to look pretty in her casket.

"Cetra," he started slowly, carefully letting the words roll in his mouth before letting them be spoken, "I have noticed that when I am so close to you, I do not hear Mother as well." For a moment, Aeris thought he may kill her for this. She opened her mouth to apologize and beg for forgiveness, if she knew why he couldn't hear Jenova, she would fix it. If he just would not kill her. However, he stopped her before she could begin her pleas. "I wish to know why. So, for now, I will not kill you."

Aeris gasped. She didn't want to go with him. Once he found out why her presence stopped Jenova from communicating with him, he would likely kill her. She had no doubt in her mind about that_. __**'Have faith in in my son and in yourself.' **_The words rang in her head as though they were being spoken directly to her heart. She slowly nodded, she would go with him willingly. It was not as though she could deny him. He would merely take her away by force.

"Hmph." was all Sephiroth had to say in reply. He tightened his grip on her hand and turned to face what appeared to be the south west, Aeris couldn't quite say. She had honestly never been very good with directions aside from the "Turn left at that corner and go straight" type of directions. Put her in a forest by herself and she would probably never find her way out. Sephiroth tugged her hand sharply and began pulling her toward his desired direction.

Inwardly, she sighed. This was crazy, even crazier than kissing this man. She was absolutely terrified of what would come. She had no idea where they were headed or if he had been lying to her the whole time, just to get her away from her friends. Her eyes went wide and she almost stopped walking. She hadn't thought about her friends! They would no doubt be worried about her and begin looking. What if they found her? What would Sephiroth do then? What if they _didn't_ find her? She almost wanted to cry but she did not want Sephiroth to think she was weak. No, she would remain strong to confuse him. She hoped anyway.

He kept a rather fast pace filled with long strides. Never once did he let go of her hand. She speculated it was because he feared she would run off. But at that same time, there would have been no point in that. He would no doubt catch her in moments and probably punish her in some way. Aeris was no fool. She did her best to keep up with him, almost running at times. He seemed to just glide across the ground, it looked like he was just an angel. He only needed a pair of wings, she thought. She tried in vain to suppress a giggle. Sephiroth with wings, the image was enough to send her reeling. He looked back at her, curiosity covered his face. She quickly regained her composure and resumed walking, trying to match his pace.

After an hour, the wind picked up greatly. Aeris's hair whipped her in the face so many times she finally cried out in frustration. Sephiroth dropped her hand and stared at her. Her innocence astounded him. Here she was, alone with a man she barely knew who wanted to kill her, wearing next to nothing and no idea where she was headed and she was getting angry about her _hair_. He almost chuckled, thinking about what a strange woman he had found.

"I'm sorry... it's just that it keeps hitting me in the face. Please, just give me a moment?" He nodded to her. First she ripped the hem off her nightgown, making it horribly shorter. It was getting dangerously close to mid-thigh. She held the fabric in her teeth while she braided her hair. Rather quickly, her slender, nimble fingers made short work of the exceptionally long hair. She tied the end of it with the white cotton and smiled. "All done! We can do now, if you like."

Sephiroth just stared at her, completely amazed. She was truly the definition of an optimist. Instead of pitying herself for being born a Cetra or for being kidnapped, she just braided her hair and was ready to continue on. He was almost beginning to enjoy being around her. The mental silence from his Mother was definitely a positive reason to keep the girl around, if nothing else. She turned her head to the side, as a puppy does. He shook his head and started walking, "Let's go then. We are close." Aeris nodded and ran to his side. She wanted badly to make conversation but she knew it would be pointless and probably anger him. It seemed like anything Aeris could possibly do would anger him.

But deep down, he wished she would speak. Usually Mother would be talking with him. But without her, the silence was maddening. He didn't really expect her to talk though. Why should she want to? He wasn't exactly the most approachable person. He'd only wanted to kill her and her friends.

The sun was just beginning to rise over what almost looked to be the Nibel mountains. Aeris instantly knew where he was taking her. They were going to the ShinRa Mansion in Nibelheim. Suddenly, she was afraid. She recalled all the testing equipment in the basement. She froze where she stood. This brought horrible memories from when she had been taken from her Mother by Hojo and tested on so many different times. She instantly fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands, fighting back tears. She was not crying now out of fear, but out of remembrance of her Mother. _**'And now of all times? What happened to being strong?'**_ the voice from before, Aeris recalled. It was Lucrecia speaking to her.

_'Oh Lucrecia, I don't mean to cry...I just miss my mother Ifalna so much.'_ The name of Aeris's mother must have been familiar to Lucrecia for she became silent. After a moment, she spoke softly, _**'It will be okay, Aeris. Be strong.'**_

By the time Aeris had regained herself Sephiroth was standing in front of her. His face bore mixed emotions of concern, confusion and frustration. She decided not to read into any of these too much and began walking ahead of him, into the tiny town. She was almost certain she knew where he was taking her. She came to the water fountain and stopped, awaiting further instruction from her captor. He moved past her quickly and headed for the exact place Aeris had pictured. She had been here rather recently, as a matter of fact. She shuddered when she remember the monster they fought, Lost Number, as well as their brief encounter with Ying and Yang. Both equally frightening and she vaguely wondered if Sephiroth had put them there or if they had been born of Hojo and the rest of ShinRa. She decided to put those thoughts out of her mind for now and focus on what was at hand.

It was still dark out although the sun was trying to peek over the Nibel mountains. They hurried past the gates that lead to the dark mansion. Sephiroth paused for a moment after closing them to affix a sort of magical lock to keep unwanted visitors out. Aeris was determined not to be frightened by this. Instead she walked swiftly to the large doors and awaited him to open them for her. He gave her a look that she could have sworn shown amusement before it changed to his normal, expressionless look. He pulled the great doors open and sarcastically bowed his head to her, as though he was trying to be a gentleman. _'Gentlemen don't kidnap women,'_ she reminded herself. She walked right through the door as though in some way defying him whereas all she truly succeeded in was amusing him further. He shut the door and equipped it with a similar lock as the front gate had.

He turned around to look at her. His face was incredibly serious and she refrained from making any slight noise. "You are to stay here, in this mansion. You may roam the main and upper floors. This lock will tell me should you attempt any kind of escape, as will the windows. I suggest you refrain from prying too far into any type of research documents for your own good." He motioned for her to follow and he began climbing the staircase. He gestured toward a dimly lit bedroom with a king sized bed. "You may stay here. I will be elsewhere. If I call for you, do come quickly. Or I may get... impatient." He turned and left her, heading toward the basement, as Aeris recalled. She wanted to thank him for giving her what appeared to be a nice, soft bed. But she thought it better to let him alone with his thoughts.

She quietly walked through the door and glanced around the bedroom. It was large and filled with antique looking furniture. Her eyes came to the bed. It was certainly the biggest bed she had ever seen and it took all of her power to resist jumping into it. Instead she laid on it softly, pulled the blankets completely over her head and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Sephiroth made short work of the stairs leading to the basement and headed straight for the library. He stood in the doorway. He hadn't the slightest idea why he had decided to come here. This place held no happy memories for him or any valuable information. Perhaps it was just to get away from the flower girl and her intoxicating scent. She smelled so sweet and he imagined she tasted even sweeter. Her lips had been on his only for a short time and he ached to feel and taste them again. He hid all these thoughts from Mother, however. He had received quite a lecture from the first kiss. If she knew about his desires for more she would nearly paralyze him with head pain.

He let out an exaggerated sigh and sat himself at the large wooden desk. Looking around the room, it had not changed much since the first time he had ventured inside. Some books were sprawled out on the floor, no doubt from Cloud's little gang of idiots. _'They can't even return a book to it's rightful place? How pathetic.'_ An image of Aeris reading one of these books fluttered to his mind. Her delicate hands holding the book as though it were made of glass. Surely she would put a book back into the case. Sephiroth shook his head. Why could he not get the girl off his mind? This was almost proving to be a bad idea. He stood up, shoving the chair backwards harshly. He stalked back up the stairs to the room he had left her in. He threw the door open and was shocked to see her under the covers asleep. He had expected her to be crying in a corner, wishing for her little blond boyfriend to rescue her. Instead, she went to sleep?

Carefully, he tiptoed to her side and pulled the blanket down from her head. Her hair was mussed from the wind but the way it framed her face he believed she could have been an angel. The scent of it was truly like a drug, driving him insane. He wanted to touch her but decided he had better make an escape now. He brought her here to study her, not to ravage her. Sephiroth gently pulled the blanket to cover her shoulders and quietly exited the room. He closed the door behind him and sighed heavily before going to his own room to sleep.

**~End of Chapter Four~**

I figured this was as good as any place to end this. I had more I wanted to write but it was such little bits and pieces that I couldn't fit it anywhere. Hoped you all liked it, it took me days to write it with all the interruptions!

Hope you all had wonderful Holidays as well!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

Thank you everyone for the reviews and for adding this story to your subscriptions! I left one day with like three reviews and came back a few hours later and had eight! I'm so happy guys! I'll keep writing, I promise. Until I finish this.

This story has an ending already in mind. I know where my destination is but I am unsure of the journey. A it is, I stopped writing this chapter halfway and tried to go to bed. I laid there for almost two hours until I decided the hell with that! What was keeping me up? Well, thinking about this story! My brain kept thinking on "whats gonna happen when the gang finds Aeris?" and stuff like that. So now I have a word file on here that is purely dedicated to ideas like that. Fully written, waiting to be copied and pasted into a chapter. Bwahahaha. I'm excited, are you guys excited?

Okay, I don't usually include songs in things I write. But I took the English translation of the song "Why" by Ayaka from Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core. I thought it fit Sephiroth and Aeris perfectly for this story. Hopefully you guys agree.

I also swapped parties, so to speak. We start out with Tifa and go to Aeris and so on and so forth between them. I'm figuring they are gonna look for two weeks (maybe three) to give these two adequate time to become... acquainted. Hehehe. Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

The morning sun was incredibly bright rising over the ocean. It instantly woke Tifa from her sweet dreams. She struggled to hang onto them for a moment longer, wishing them to be real or to live in them forever. When the vision of herself in white next to Cloud had finally faded she decided it was time to start the day. She sat on the edge of the bed and stretched her arms high above her head. She then stood up and did her usual morning stretches. Often people would comment that it was silly. She would never correct them. Instead, she would smile when their muscles cramped up after a battle.

Tifa finally looked back at Cloud who was snoring softly. She chuckled quietly and dressed herself. She didn't want to leave him but she knew she had to start making breakfast before anyone else decided to take it upon themselves. She shuddered, remembering the awful french toast Cid made. No, she would indeed fix breakfast before the thought of doing so entered anyone's head.

* * *

Aeris rolled over and sighed. She hadn't wanted to get up this early. But her stomach was hurting so badly she could have sworn it was eating itself. She groaned as she pulled herself from the warm bed and shuffled to the door. Her feet carried her to the stairs where she stopped for a moment. She sensed someone in the bedroom down the hall. She thought about going to see for herself but then she recalled who it was. Aeris was sure that if she went to go see him sleeping, she would no doubt find herself in the basement if she disturbed The Great Sephiroth.

Instead she walked gingerly down the stairs and searched desperately for something to nibble on. She refused to believe the ancient mansion held no food. She was so hungry she would even eat a can of processed meat if that was what it came down to. She opened cabinets and pantries but all she found was dust and spiders. She entertained the idea of having to eat such a disgusting creature but pushed the thought out of her head.

She hung her head in defeat and began the short journey to her appointed bedroom. Her stomach continued to growl and ache but without food, there was nothing she could do. She decided to wait for Sephiroth to awaken and perhaps she could ask him to go to town and acquire some food for them both.

* * *

With a trained hand, Tifa flipped the pancakes to the other side. A whole stack of almost one hundred pancakes perfectly cooked and golden brown. She beamed. This was something she excelled at as well as thoroughly enjoyed. One by one, her comrades awoke to the wonderful smell of absolute deliciousness. Cloud was the last to arrive. Their eyes met for only a second before Tifa turned away, blushing a bright red. She stared at her plate, praying no one else had seen. In her peripheral vision, she watched him grab a plate and load it up before sitting next to Vincent, across the table from her. She raised her head and looked around.

"Where is Aeris? Is she still asleep?" Tifa questioned. Aeris never missed breakfast. She always stated that it was one of the most important meals, right before midnight snacks.

Yuffie swallowed her mouth full of pancakes, "I didn't hear any noise in her room. I kinda figured she was still asleep so I didn't go in... should I go wake her up?"

"No, I will." Tifa stood up.

"I'll come too." Cloud followed her closely.

Cloud knocked on Aeris's door. There was no response. He looked nervously at Tifa. He wasn't about to just walk into the room unannounced. Aeris could be undressed. His mind hovered on that image. Then Tifa turned the door knob and pushed the door open, waking him from his day dream. They gasped.

"Sh-she's gone!" Tifa yelled, running around the room frantically. She threw the blankets off the bed, hoping to see her friend. Cloud rushed to the window. He didn't see a trace of anything. Aeris's materia and ribbons were still on the nightstand and her clothes hung on the wall.

"Kidnapped." He finally stated. "She would not have left her materia or her dress here. She had to be kidnapped." Tifa looked at him, tears filled her eyes.

"Only one person would have done such a thing..."

"Sephiroth." They both jumped, startled at Vincent's voice. "I heard you yell. We need to gather everyone and start looking. The longer we wait to move out the better chance we have of finding her dead." He was always right to the point. He turned and walked into the kitchen.

Tifa fell to her knees and began sobbing. "Th-this is m-my fault. I should have stayed in here with her..." Cloud pulled her to her feet and kissed her forehead. She nodded and they left the room, this was not the time to feel sorry for herself.

Vincent had already told everyone the news and they were all standing around, waiting for orders. Cloud saw that Tifa was too distraught to speak. "Well," he began, "We know who took her. So we know who to look for. Let's start by splitting into groups and asking the people around Costa del Sol if they have seen either of them. We will gather at the town gate in an hour. Barret go with Cid, Vincent go with Yuffie, and Red with Cait Sith."

"She was wearing her hair down and a short, white nightdress." Tifa spoke up softly. "Please... we have to find her."

Everyone nodded and began gathering their weapons and allocating their materia. Each group left the villa and went separate directions. Tifa prayed to the Planet that they find something to go on.

* * *

Aeris laid on the bed, singing songs softly to herself. She had started with lullabies but they started making her sleepy. She then began singing some songs she had heard on the radio in the slums. They were upbeat and made her forget her hunger. When she couldn't remember the words she just sang a different one.

Down the hall, Sephiroth finally awoke from his slumber. The bed was not particularly comfortable but he had been used to sleeping on the ground or on rocks in his recent years. Therefor he never complained about a bed being too hard or too soft, he just appreciated it was a bed and he wouldn't have to remove sand and dirt from his clothing. As he exited the room, he could hear giggling and singing coming from where he had left Aeris. Curious, he walked silently to the door which was left open ever so slightly. He listened to her angelic voice, recalling he had heard the song once before from a teenagers cell phone.

"The haze beyond your eyes clouds my sight

Are there feelings lying at the bottom of your heart?

Even if the whole world was yours

Would that that bring you happiness?

Why do you up at the lonesome sky?

Why, let's see you smile

I know what you're like

How you aren't good at putting things into words, so why not...

What happened in days long past?

In your eyes, as turn your gaze away from me

Do you know of such a warmth

One that can embrace you on those lonely nights by yourself?

Why are you so worked up on appearances?

Why, open up your heart

I know you've had a heavy cross to bear

But I've got the strength to accept you

So why not try believing in me

The free are awkward...

The free are anxious...

Why do you look up at the lonesome sky?

Why, let's see you smile

I know what you're like

How you aren't good at putting thing into words

So why not try believing in me."

Sephiroth just stood there. The words poked at him. He wondered if maybe she had been singing it about him. She began singing another song but he paid it no mind. He shook his head. He was not going to show her that the words had struck his heart. He knocked on the door.

Aeris jumped up from the bed, "Ah, come in!" she sounded so chipper. He walked in slowly and was met with a smiling face. "Good morning! I hope you slept well?" She tilted her head to the side, like she had done last night. His only reply was a nod. "Well, I did, too! I'm not sure about you but I'm really hungry."

He shrugged. "Not really."

"Well maybe The Great Sephiroth doesn't need to eat but Aeris The Flower-girl certainly does. If it is not too much trouble, could you go into town and maybe procure some groceries? I would do it myself but you asked me to stay here." His eyes widened. He obviously didn't expect her to speak to him in that manner. Aeris never struck him as an incredibly brave person nor stupid. Truth be told, the only reason she had spoken like that was to see his reaction. She needed to judge how far she could verbally go before he became angry. Study your prey before you pounce, so to speak.

"Hmm... I suppose I could. But I would have no idea what to buy." He watched her shift her weight to one side. "However, you could join me." He saw her eyes light up at the thought. She suddenly became very happy.

"Alright!" she said, full of energy. "Um, could I get some clothing as well? This-" she gestured to the skimpy outfit she was clothed in. "Isn't exactly my style."

Now he was confused. "Ah, I assumed it was your usual sleeping attire." She furrowed her brows at him and vigorously shook her head. He chuckled inwardly. "Yes, I suppose you may pick out clothing at the local store. You will be staying here for awhile, after all." She smiled and rushed forward, encircling his arm with hers.

"Let's go!" she chirped.

* * *

It had been an hour and everyone was gathered at the gate. Tifa looked around nervously. Everyone seemed downtrodden. They all shook their heads, affirming her worst fears; no one had seen anything.

"This one man said he _may_ have seen her. He said he saw a young girl run by really fast but he wasn't exactly focusing on which direction she was headed...he was looking at... uh. Well, never mind that." Nanaki stated. He had been the only one to acquire any bit of useful information and it was hardly useful.

"Mebbe he's gonna sacrifice her at that old city? Should we head there?" Barret said. He looked at the tears coming from Tifa's eyes. He wasn't sure he believed what he suggested but the thought had occurred to him.

Cloud placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her head to his chest. "I guess we ought to start there, then. Cid, please go prepare the Tiny Bronco. We are heading North to Bone Village."

Cid nodded and began heading to the port, where he left the little sea plane. No one was enthused about having to ride it but they didn't dare voice it. Everyone understood more important things were at stake, even the selfish Ninja knew this.

"It's gonna be okay, Tif. We will find her and she's gonna be a-okay!" Yuffie tried her hardest to sound upbeat but deep down she didn't really believe the words coming out. Sephiroth had already been alone with Aeris over night, more than enough time to get there and kill her. But Yuffie hoped she was wrong.

Tifa couldn't even force a smile. She had been hoping for some real, legitimate information but none was found. She couldn't help feeling ultimately responsible. If she hadn't been with Cloud she could have at least alerted everyone else when Sephiroth came into the bedroom. She started to pull away from him but Cloud held her tighter. He knew what she was thinking and was not going to let her blame herself. But he couldn't find the right words to tell her. So he just held her.

"Let's go." he said softly. Everyone began walking to the docks. Each praying to find poor Aeris before it was too late.

* * *

Sephiroth removed the complicated looking lock with such ease it made Aeris jealous. He threw the door open and pulled her along gently. He removed the second lock on the gates and they walked, arm in arm, to the little corner store.

The sun was shining brightly, meaning it was around midday. Aeris loved the sunshine. She had not been privy to it in the slums so any chance to soak it up she made sure to take it. It made her feel so happy to be under the sun like that. She almost wanted to dance but decided against it. She just held Sephiroth's arm close to her and strolled along side him.

He noted how the sunshine made her hair sparkle and her very happy. He, however, did not care for the sun. It was bright and hot and uncomfortable. He had never liked being out in the sunlight. As much as he enjoyed watching Aeris soak all the happiness in, he decided to hurry her along into the store to prevent a migraine.

The tiny store was not as small as it looked. It had a large corner dedicated to clothing of all colors and the front was filled with delicious looking fruits and vegetables. He motioned for her to go and pick out clothing while he would wait at the front of the store.

She looked through the dresses and finally emerged with a light blue one. She held it up for Sephiroth to see. "Is that all you found that you liked?" She shook her head. He sighed and bent down to whisper into her ear. "I have enough Gil on me to buy this store five times over and more at the mansion. Buy as much as you like." He smiled as her eyes brightened and he decided to follow her this time. She picked out dresses of every color as well as shirts and skirts. She stopped for a moment at the lingerie. The selection was not large but she did need some. She turned to Sephiroth and he seemed to understand. "I will be by the register," he handed her the first dress she brought to him. "Change out of that and into this. You will be more comfortable."

Aeris nodded and waited for him to be out of sight, behind a fruit display. She quickly picked out some plain colored bras and panties that appealed to her. She was about to head to the dressing room but a pretty black lacy set caught her eye. It wasn't something she would normally wear but she thought it would look good on her. After hesitating for a moment she decided to get it. She went into the little box with a mirror and curtain and pulled the white gown off, grateful to be rid of it. She picked out a white and pink bra and matching panties to wear, carefully pulling their tags off to show the clerk. She took a minute to look herself over in the mirror before slipping the blue dress on. It hugged her hips a little but it went past her knees. It was perfect for the warm weather.

She emerged from the curtain, the remaining undergarments in hand. She placed them on top of the large pile of clothing then headed back. She picked out some sandals in blue, pink and white and purchased a pink spool of ribbon. "That's all!" The clerk's eyes practically had cash signs. Sephiroth had picked out some food which Aeris had approved of greatly. She did, however, add a couple of apples and cases of strawberries.

The total was a number so large Aeris didn't have enough time to register how many zeros it had before Sephiroth blocked her vision. He placed down one hundred thousand Gil as Aeris was leaving with the produce. He made sure she did not see. Yes, it was more than she had spent but he feared if she saw how much the total was, she would feel awkward about it. He grabbed the four bags stuffed with clothing and joined her outside. He stopped in the doorway to admire her. She left her hair flowing freely in the gentle breeze. She could pass for an angel, he thought again. She looked at him and smiled, picking up her own bags filled with food as they headed back to the mansion. Sephiroth eager to eat and Aeris just as eager to cook for him. The quickest way to a man's heart is is stomach, after all.

**~End of Chapter Five~**

Okay I really hope you guys liked this. It took me about four hours to write, including the time I stopped to write up the "for future chapters" stuff. Man I wish I had a man that said "get whatever the heck you want!" well, maybe when my hubby finishes culinary school. Then it can be "I'll cook whatever the heck you want!" Hehe.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

Wow everyone, thank you all so so much for the reviews. You're really making me want to keep writing! I hope you like this chapter, I was hung up on it for the longest time.

They arrived back at the Mansion. Sephiroth was very tired of carrying all of the clothing Aeris had picked out. _'Who knew a woman needed so much.' _It amused him, however. It didn't seem to take much to make her happy. He day dreamed lazily about other simple things she would like. Perhaps a bouquet of roses, that seemed like something she would enjoy. He recalled hearing that she spent a lot of her time in an old church taking care of flowers of all kinds. Not that it surprised him really, Aeris looked like the kind of person who spent her time nurturing others.

Her bright smile interrupted his thoughts. "So, what would you like for dinner, Sephy? It's a bit too late to be eating lunch now."

He raised an eyebrow. "'Sephy'?"

"Yes, 'Sephy'. Your name is so long... I didn't think it would hurt to shorten it. And it's kind of cute." She smirked. Yes, Aeris was toying with him, seeing if playing around with his name would anger him.

Sephiroth only sighed, not really irked about the bastardization of his name. It was not the first time a woman had said such a thing in an attempt at being playful and he doubted if it would be the last. "Cook whatever you like. I'll put these bags in your room." She nodded, slightly dumbfounded.

Aeris decided to make her way to the kitchen, putting Sephiroth out of her mind for the time being. Cooking, that was her focus. But cook what? He hadn't been specific or anything. "Only one way to find out!" She tied her long hair into a tight bun on top of her head and began taking various items from the shopping bags. "Cucumber... strawberries, oh yum." she took one out of the little package and popped it into her mouth. "Hmm, let me see. Oh, wow! I didn't see this at the store! He must have snuck it in, the devil." Out of the bag she pulled a beautiful slice of salmon. Truth be told, she had only tasted the fish two or three times. But she assumed it wasn't difficult to cook. No more so than any other fish.

She set the stove to preheat, amazed the ancient looking thing still worked, while placing the rest of the groceries away. She left a small lemon and a sprig of rosemary out. She resembled something of a butterfly, fluttering about the kitchen gathering pots and baking sheets. She placed the lovely fish onto the sheet, laying the rosemary every so gently on it with two slices of lemon. Aeris popped it into the oven and resumed her flight around the kitchen. Plates from here, silverware from there. Peeling potatoes, boiling them. She giggled, '_I feel like a housewife, how silly!_'

Upstairs, Sephiroth had gently set the bags next to the bed which, he noticed, had been perfectly made. He smirked then turned to go to the basement. He needed to prepare everything he required to study the girl. Needles, rubbing alcohol and other such things. It had been a great many years since the last time he had drawn any blood from something that was alive. But what needed to be done would be done. He only hoped to not miss the vein this time.

Aeris pulled the salmon out of the oven and squealed with delight over how delicious it looked, much less how wonderful the smell was. She quickly discarded the rosemary and lemons and hurried to get the fish on the plates she had set out. She grinned, it looked great. But where could that man have run off to?

The smell of the dinner wafted through the whole house. Sephiroth had to resist rushing himself to finish readying the tools he would need. He wanted it to be quick and as painless as possible. He hesitated. Since when did he care if she experienced any pain with what he was going to do? After all, he had been ready to kill her. He shook his head, he needed to get these thoughts in order.

At least Mother was leaving him alone. Although it seemed that the girl's presence did indeed cause Mother to be silent. He would have to find out why. But with the smell of dinner assaulting his nose, pondering such things could certainly wait until after.

He made his way up the stairs and with each step the smell grew stronger and more delightful. He halted just outside the dining room. Aeris was humming as she lit a candle. This baffled him. She was treating this more like a date. She ought to be scared of him. But she was not. This girl was a most intriguing and intricate puzzle. She could be brave one moment and cry the next. Fear a man and then try to please him? He'd heard men complain about women being confusing but Aeris took the prize indeed.

Sephiroth set those thoughts aside. For now, he would play into it. He walked slowly into the room. Aeris's smiling face greeted him happily. "I really hope you like it! This is my first time cooking salmon so if it isn't good, I'm sorry." Her smile faded slightly but she perked up instantly. "Never mind, here! This is your plate." she gestured toward a plate filled with mashed potatoes and a perfectly cooked salmon. Sephiroth really hadn't pegged her for a cook. Once again, this did not surprise him. Instead of sitting down at his place he stood behind her chair, waiting for her to sit. '_Being a gentleman again. How could a girl _not_ fall for him? Must be strong, Aeris. Resist._'

She sat down slowly and managed to peep out a "thank you" to him as he pushed her chair in gently. He stalked over to his chair and sat, trying desperately to not drool. The smell of the food was to _die_ for. He picked up his fork, ready to taste it, when he noticed that Aeris had her hands together and head bowed in prayer. She was smiling at him. For a moment he thought about ignoring her but he recalled his plans of dancing in her palm for the time being. He imitated her pose and waited.

She flashed him a truly happy smile before closing her eyes. "Gaia, we thank you for this fish and everything you have provided us with. Please continue to bless us." She nodded her head. "Okay, time to dig in, I'm anxious to see how it turned out!" She was always so cheerful in everything she did. How could someone not be happy around her?

Sephiroth stared at his plate. It looked safe enough. He pressed his fork into the salmon and slowly brought it to his mouth, fully aware of Aeris's eyes on him. He found it difficult to not show truly delicious it was. His tongue was in ecstasy, this fish was one of the most delectable things he had eaten in years. The flavors were almost too complex for him. An approving nod toward the cook was all that was needed. If he had seen her happy before then her face shown elation. They devoured their meal, much too satisfied to speak.

Aeris was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes carefully. She didn't want to drop a single one, knowing fully well they were worth more Gil than she ever had on her person at one time. Sephiroth approached her from behind.

"Aeris," she jumped and turned around with a sheepish grin. He reveled for a moment in the fact he had startled her. "I need you to come into the basement with me for a short time." He noticed the flash of fear in her eyes. "Just to take blood. Nothing more." he assured her. She nodded and followed him.

Nervously, Aeris played with her fingers in her lap, watching Sephiroth's every movement. She was not naive enough to believe she won him over. He was not to be trusted as far as she was concerned. She wasn't entirely sure about this taking blood prospect either. "Y-you know..." she attempted at making some conversation. "I uh.. bruise easily." His eyes slowly rose from his hands and settled on her cheek. There was indeed a bruise there.

"You will be fine."

_ 'That's cold.'_ she thought. He sat down next to her and grasped her hand, turning it over so the underside of her elbow was exposed. He could feel her growing more nervous. And then she began to shiver.

"If you do not relax I am not going to be able to do this right, Aeris."

Her eyes widened, "You mean... you aren't a professional at this?"

"I've had training. But not a lot of actual experience. I can tell you that if you do not stop your shaking I will miss your vein entirely." He seemed to be growing impatient.

"W-well I've never b-been good at having blood taken. And it's c-cold down here..."

He sighed. "Aeris.." He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Keep still or I will miss." His warmth and scent enveloped her. She wasn't going to win this war, not with him playing dirty like this. She rested her head on his shoulder and unconsciously began purring softly. He ignored this and carefully inserted the needle into her skin and vein. Crimson poured out into the vial. "Don't look." he cautioned.

He filled three vials up before releasing her. She almost sighed, he smelled so damn good. He was placing them away for testing later when Aeris stood up too fast. Her balance wavered and he only barely managed to catch her before she hit the chair. "I'm sorry... I got dizzy."

"You should not stand up so quickly after having blood drawn. It's late. Maybe you ought to just go to sleep."

"No," she protested, "I wanna take a bath first. I need one." He raised one eyebrow. She didn't really need one but there seemed to be no harm in it. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her slowly to her bedroom. She tried to squirm away but his grip only became more firm. In the end she gave up, far too tired to fight back.

He set her down next to the bathroom doorway. She leaned against him. "Can you get into the tub on your own, Aeris?" He hoped so.

She nodded slowly. "I think so..."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "I'll sit on the bed here. If you need me to get you, just say so." She nodded to him and made her way into the bathroom, giving the door a light push to close it. It remained open an inch but she hadn't noticed.

Sephiroth heard the bath water start running. He stared at the door, zoning out completely. Then he noticed it was open slightly and in the mirror he could see her reflection. Her back was to the mirror as she pulled the dress over her head and let it fall from her hands to the floor. Sephiroth could only watch as she unhooked her bra carefully, stopping to idly scratch her shoulder. Her bare back delighted him. She removed her panties and turned towards the tub, allowing Sephiroth a side view of her naked body. He could feel himself harden at the sight. He pleaded with his eyes to turn away but they just wouldn't. It was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She really was an angel, if not a Goddess. He watched her step into the tub and then she was out of eye sight. He sighed, feeling guilty for watching her.

He listened to her light splashing and washing her hair and body. He ached to go in there, using all the restraint he had to refrain from taking her right there in the tub. _'Easy,' _he reminded himself. _'Study her first. I need to find out why she had the effect on me.'_ He smirked, wondering what would come after that. The tub draining shook him from his fantasies.

She stepped out of the bathroom in a little pink nightdress. "This is more my style, Sephy." She joked. He gave her a halfhearted smile, recalling his earlier comment on her white one. This nightdress went just below her knees and was decorated with black lace on the hem. She smiled brightly at him, obviously still a little dizzy and tired. "Well, I'm really sleepy... so good night!" She let her lips touch his cheek for the briefest moment before pulling away and climbing into bed.

Sephiroth stared at her. This woman was testing him, she had to be. And he wasn't so sure he would pass. He wanted badly to hold her down and take her. She was proving to be a great distraction. Perhaps too great. He exited the room, turning the light off as he did.

The basement was his destination once again. In the desk at the back of the library laid the journal he had been keeping since the Ancient City. He pulled it out and laid is hand atop it. Sephiroth opened it slowly and began writing.

_Shopping with the Cetra was an interesting endeavor._

_She was pleased with the clothing she was allowed to pick out._

_She then cooked dinner for the both of us. It was simple, consisting of salmon and potatoes._

_It was delicious._

_I took three vials of blood from her left arm. I will test these tomorrow._

_The girl grew dizzy and took a bath._

He paused, debating if he should write any more than that. He decided against it.

_Girl seems determined to push me as far as she is able to with her words and subtle actions. _

_Will be mindful of this in the future._

He snapped the book closed and returned it to it's resting place. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and groaned. "This girl will be the death of me."

**~End Chapter Six~**

Wow, this took me all day to write. I kept hitting writer's block and getting distracted. Then on the advice of a friend I stopped trying to get over it. Eventually the words came to me and continued flowing. He's usually right, anyway :P

I hope you guys liked this. I'm going to need all of your encouragement to finish this with all the hectic stuff that has been going around here!

I'm going to start doing the other group every two or three chapters. Mostly just to check up on them and all.

Love you guys!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Gosh guys, thank you all so so SO much for your reviews. You are all really helping me along.

This chapter took me a few days to really get going on it. I've been sick, you see. My son got everyone in the house sick and befitting of any child, he was really sick for a day and then he was all better! Me... I'm STILL sick. So in between resting and taking care of the baby, I've been trying to squeeze in some writing. I have a crappy immune system. And I'm not even old! I'm only 22! Gah! Anyway!

This is a pretty short chapter. But it's all about Sephy. Oh, did you know that by the Chinese Zodiac Sephiroth and Aeris are compatible! She is a rat and he is a dragon(like me!).

* * *

Sephiroth stood up, walking to where he had placed the blood he took from Aeris. He took one vial into his hand, studying it. The crimson washing to one side and the other as he turned it in his fingers. He stared at it as though it held the answers to the questions of the universe. Shaking his head, he began putting the precious liquid through a battery of tests.

Wiping the sweat of many hours work from his brow, he looked over his results. Unfortunately all he had managed to discover was that her blood type was O and she was, for the most part, a perfect vision of health. No deficiency of any kind. No anomalies. No... nothing. He sighed, thoroughly disappointed. But what _had_ he hoped to find? Glowing green blobs in her blood saying "Block Jenova, block Jenova!"? Unlikely. But something. He compared it with results from his own blood and aside from the Jenova cells, they were fairly similar.

Disappointed and frustrated, Sephiroth decided that he would leave the mansion for a short time and go for a walk, hoping it would clear his mind. The cool early morning air comforted him, he felt much more relaxed. Shutting the gate behind him he continued to walk. But not toward the mountains. He made a point of turning the other way. No, he headed for the entrance to Nibelheim. Walking right through and towards the ocean.

A few random monsters stopped to look at him before fleeing. They could feel the evil seeping from his presence. He scoffed, relishing the way they ran, fearing for their very lives. This was how Sephiroth liked being seen, as the epitome of evil. He instantly felt more powerful, more sure of himself. He chuckled to himself, continuing towards the sea.

Upon reaching the little beach he stopped to admire it. The endless ocean. He could see nothing but water. And then his head was wracked with pain, it felt as though someone had hit him from behind. He turned around, seeing no one.

_**"SEPHIROTH." **_It was obvious then. Mother.. and she was angry.

He tried to blow it off, taking a deep breath and pushing the pain aside. "Hello, Mother." he spoke out loud. There was no reason not to, no one around to hear but fish. And Sephiroth truly doubted fish would think he was crazy.

_**"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" **_She was indeed very angry.

"I have been in Nibelheim." He answered her truthfully.

She seemed to calm down upon hearing his answer. _**"Nibelheim... whatever were you doing there, my son?"**_ Her voice was dripping with venom polished with something sickly sweet.

He hesitated. Should he tell her about Aeris? He would no doubt pay dearly for that. But if he bent the truth a little bit, would she know? "Mother," he started out slowly, carefully weighing each word before it exited his mouth. "I decided to capture the Cetra girl. I feel we can use her..."

_**"She is of no use. Dispose of her quickly."**_

"She holds great power inside. And she trusts me... let me toy with her just a bit longer." The Great Sephiroth... asking permission from his Mommy to keep the kitty that followed him home. The idea was laughable, even to him. If he could just make her see that Aeris was of some use to their cause.

She remained silent. "Cloud and the others will follow so long as I have her. If I kill her, they may become... side tracked."

Jenova thoroughly went over her son's words. Part of what he was saying was true, the group would indeed become slightly distracted should he kill the girl. But with her, they had something to barter with. And if she trusted Sephiroth like he claimed... perhaps they could use her. _**"So be it."**_ she spoke finally. Resisting the urge to thank her, Sephiroth simply nodded then turned and began the short journey back to Nibelheim, eager to sleep and nurse his throbbing head.

Jenova returned to her forced silence but Sephiroth's thoughts plagued him. Why did Aeris block out Mother? And Mother was so uneasy about her. She had defeated the Cetra before so why did one little, untrained girl seem to frighten her so much? That alone proved to Sephiroth his conclusion of Aeris holding some sort of power. But what could it be?

Aside from obstructing Jenova's link with him, her presence seemed to calm all those around her. But could that be considered any type of power or was it just her aura that cause such a thing? Unfortunately there didn't seem to be much of a way he could put that into use. Unlike Cloud, Aeris was no puppet. But he was slowly gaining her trust, that was definitely a step in the right direction but it would take more than trust to get her to do anything against her will.

But she did indeed hold a power over _him_. Everything about the girl nearly drove him to the edge of madness, testing his boundaries and strength each time he was around her. Time and time again he had wanted to rush away from her, get as far from her as possible. But even at a distance, she consumed his thoughts.

Should he have just killed her when he had the chance? Ignored her provoking and done away with her right there? He would still have the puppet following him so the plans would not have changed much. The thought of Aeris laying lifeless on the ground was an intriguing prospect at first. However, Sephiroth could not shake the feeling that he would be more lost than the puppet if Aeris died.

None of it made any sense. Over a short period of time his feelings toward her had changed so drastically. Why? He just didn't understand.

He sighed as he arrived at the outskirts of the little mountain town, he needed to figure out why Aeris had this strange power over him before he grew too attached. He was beginning to miss her presence. At times like this, he was grateful that Mother could no longer speak with him or hear his thoughts. He sometimes wished he couldn't hear them. He didn't want to admit he thought the girl was beautiful or that her cooking was divine. Or he ached to lay in bed next to her. Thoughts he refused to admit or acknowledge. Admitting a fascination with her would be admitting defeat, admitting he was weak.

But she was almost impossible to resist. Her smile could melt a heart of ice and it was so hard to resist smiling back. _She_ was impossible to resist. Everything about her.

Frustrated, Sephiroth slammed the gate shut and rushed to the doors of the mansion, eager to rest. Toiling with the blood work had been an agonizing process, add to it the walk to the little beach and Mother's punishment along the way back, he was in dire need of a soft bed.

He closed the doors quietly behind him and stalked up the stairs, ignoring the temptress down the hall. Sephiroth collapsed onto his bed, waiting for sleep. He attempted every conceivable position in the little bed but nothing was comfortable. He kicked the baseboard, why the _hell_ couldn't he sleep? He was plenty tired, so that wasn't the issue.

No, the issue was _her_. She was plaguing his thoughts again. Everything about her. Her eyes, her lips, the way she smiled, the way her hair framed her angelic face when she slept. And thoughts of holding her in his arms, kissing her, making love to her. He could not shake these thoughts from his mind.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" He yelled.

"What is?" came a drowsy reply from the hallway. Sephiroth was shocked to see Aeris standing in the door way rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you doing awake, Aeris?"

She yawned then stared at him for a moment before speaking. "I was hungry... so I was gonna go get a snack when I heard you hit something. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

He stifled a laugh. _She_ was checking on _him_ to make sure he was okay? Why would she care? He had intended to kill her, kidnapped her, and she had no idea what else he was planning. And here she was, _checking_ on him. He cocked his head, thinking on that for a moment. Was this some sort of Stockholm syndrome or did she really care for his well being?

"Yes, I am fine. You may go back to bed." She leaned on the door frame, not wanting to move. He stood up and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her gently to her door. "Good night, Aeris."

She whimpered softly, remembering she had wanted a snack, then she sighed and whispered, "Nini... Sephy. Sweet dreams to you." before walking in a daze back to her bed.

He shut the door softly and returned to his bed. "That woman..." he muttered before rolling onto his side, sleep finally claiming him.

**~End of Chapter Seven~**

Yay, all done! I have ideas and all sorts of things planned out so this stuff will actually make some sense... when we get to it. I told you it was pretty short :x

If you guys like Aeris x Sephiroth, you should check out Luna Rain Glimmer's story "To Dare to Smolder". It's her story "To Smolder" but redone and it's going to be excellent! The first chapter is up and full of goodness so check it out.

I'll try to make the next chapter a bit longer. Probably going to wait to really work on it until I'm better. Being sick sucks and it makes my brain act weird. I start laughing at the weirdest stuff... o.o Really.

I remember in High School and I stayed home. I was playing Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. And I had those cool shoes that make you float (their name is evading me for some reason). Well... I misjudged the distance and Link didn't make it to the other side.

Me: "Oo, Link go down the hoooole... wanna do it again!" I really do wish I were joking. I'm not. This really happened. Nyquil is crazy stuff. So, moral of the story is.. I'm not gonna write about Sephy when I'm all drugged up on cold medicine. That's ASKING for trouble. Unless you all want Sephy dressed in a pink tutu. I can do that.

Oh quick notes. The "can of processed meat" thing... I hate spam. Seriously. And I don't consider "Sephy" to be a bastardization of his name.. I think it's cute! So :P


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**

Thanks for the reviews :3 Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, things have been crazy. We all got sick and just so much stuff. And I was just having a hard time writing this. Ionno why. So, here you go. Enjoy!

* * *

For a moment, all Sephiroth could see was a bright light. It hurt his eyes to look at it but he couldn't pull his eyes away. He stared at it with childlike curiosity. And then the light dimmed and he was suddenly aware of the presence of others near him. He was laying on a hard, cold floor, a far cry from the warm bed he last recalled being in.

He sat up slowly, his head pounding. This was peculiar.. he did not remember leaving his bed much less the mansion. But this was certainly not Nibelheim. Standing up, he noticed he was in a comfortably lit room with sea foam colored walls. There was a door that remained open ever so slightly and from behind it he heard a gentle murmur of people chatting happily, obviously not knowing who resided on the other side. This room was not familiar, the smell of the place made him uneasy.

From behind him, he heard a soft moan. Sephiroth turned around slowly, wishing with everything that he was that his Masamune was with him. Unfortunately he was unarmed with anything but his fists, not that he couldn't do considerable damage with them alone. The far side of the room was dark but the light above him was enough to make out the outline of a bed and a body on it. Cocking his head to the side, he walked over to this person, inquisitive to who it could be. This person was laying on their back but their head was faced the opposite direction. The first thing to catch his eye was long hair, tangled with loose strands poking out everywhere. But it was familiar. He ached to recall why and from where but he could only remember the hair.

He tried to see the face but he could not. A contented sigh came from what he assumed to be a woman as she turned her head towards him. He was grateful that she was asleep so he would not see the terror on his face as he realized it was _her_. Aeris. An IV in her arm and cuff on her other, he guessed to measure blood pressure. Sephiroth stepped closer, studying her intently. She looked so tired, so weak. Very much unlike the Aeris that he knew. The Aeris that he knew was always full of life and energy. The one laying before him was nothing like that.

She opened her eyes slowly, trying to focus on Sephiroth's face. A smile lazily draped over her face. He smiled back, unable to resist, and reached for her hand. Behind him, he heard heavy footsteps enter the small room. Pulling his hand back he turned, surprised at who he saw. Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart were standing in the door way, poised to attack. And then everything around him went fuzzy and began to grow dark. He felt himself hit the floor but he did not see the fall.

He awoke on the floor in the mansion. He sighed heavily and placed his hand to his head. "A... dream?" Shaking his head, he pulled himself to a standing position. "A very strange dream, indeed." Sephiroth sat on the bed, trying to make sense of the dream. Aeris had obviously been sick an in a hospital but why would this dream come to him? And why did it bother him so much? He shouldn't care about the girl, shouldn't get so attached but he was. No good would come from this. In Sephiroth's eyes, love made a person weak and easy to manipulate, He would not make a weakness that obvious. He would have _no_ weakness. Nothing that people could take away from him to hurt him. But... was it too late? Would he already be destroyed if she died? Taking the girl was proving more and more to have been a bad idea.

Why was he falling for her, it made no sense to him whatsoever. He brought her here to study her and that was it. Although he admittedly had no plans for what he would do when he was done with her but at the time, that didn't really matter. What was important was he find out why this girl blocked Mother, nothing else. But things were taking such a turn. He was _falling_ for the girl. Ridiculous, completely ridiculous. The Great Sephiroth in _love_ with a flower girl? A _Cetran_ flower girl? Wait... love? Was this certainly love? Or was this some spell... some hidden power of the Ancients? It could be.

There was definitely something about her eyes. The way they sparkled was almost magical. And her smile could drawn anyone in and make them feel warm and loved. Her touch was gentle and loving. She put her soul into everything she did, cooking or cleaning, it didn't seem to matter what she was doing, she was always happy doing it. Aeris didn't seem to take anything for granted by the way she did things.

This was all so intriguing to Sephiroth. He didn't feel or see things the same way as her. Aeris was like a puzzle, he would turn it over and over in his hands but he could not figure out the solution, the secrets hidden deep inside. Interesting, yes... frustrating as hell, however. They had obviously been raised completely different for she had loving parents and he had none. Told from a young age his Mother died giving birth to him only to see that was a lie and that Mother was, in fact, being kept from him. He had made them pay, however. All except Hojo. He would save _him_ for last, making it a slow and agonizing death, one worthy of broadcasting on television. Hojo would be _begging_ for death and Sephiroth would oblige him... eventually.

What if he had his Mother growing up, would he have turned out differently? More like Aeris, perhaps? Sephiroth scoffed, he could hardly picture himself a pacifist, gardening flowers and prancing about. But maybe things would have been different, being loved and all that.

Sephiroth sighed, that word, 'love', why did it torment him so? Why did people risk so much in the search for it, even give their lives for it? This never made any sense to him at all. Aeris had said she would give her life if it would show how much that Lucretia person loved him. He didn't know any Lucretia, the name was not familiar in the least bit, so why did Aeris seem to think he did?

'_So many questions... so few answers. And I'm getting a headache._' Laying back into the bed, he decided for the first time in many years that he would allow himself to zone out. Just staring at the ceiling, trying desperately to figure this all out.

* * *

Tifa was the first person to jump off of the Tiny Bronco, eager to see if Aeris was anywhere to be seen. Her guilt was overcoming her, even though Cloud and the entire group assured her time and time again, it was not her fault, she couldn't believe them. If she had went back to stay with Aeris instead of going with Cloud, things would be different. Now she may have lost her best friend forever.

Aeris and Tifa had grown close very quickly even though they had a mutual interest in a certain blond man. They would still giggle and joke about various things and just generally have a good time together, even in some of the most dire and desperate situations. Sometimes a good laugh made all the difference, these days especially.

No words were spoken, they just walked right through the little town of Bone Village and straight into the Sleepy Forest, determined to find Aeris. Hoping she was alive.

Tifa held Aeris's materia close to her chest as they walked through the eerie Lost City. No monsters seemed to jump out at them, making the place that much scarier to everyone. Maybe Sephiroth had scared them away or maybe they just vanished. The group was all too lost in their own thoughts to speak a word to each other.

Cloud took the lead, heading straight where they last saw Sephiroth. The little lake glistened brightly with sunlight but there was no evil, looming presence around. No one felt anything but a calming feeling when they looked at the shell house.

Everyone just stood there, as though in a trance. Too afraid of what may be in there but too afraid to walk away. Even Tifa was in the verge of tears. Finally a shuffle from behind Cloud caused him to turn, Vincent was moving forward, into a leading position. He didn't speak but looked at each of them, his eyes saying '_Let's go._' And everyone followed, slowly. With each step, Tifa's heart beat louder and louder until it was all she could hear. Her ears pounded, her legs shook, her eyes threaten to spill.

But the entrance to the lower Altar was.. closed? Puzzled looks all around, no one understood why it would be closed. Unless it only opened for an Ancient.

Nanaki stepped forward, obviously thinking the same thing. "Perhaps if you place the materia to the entrance, it will unlock?" Tifa had not thought of that. Hesitant, she barely touched the glowing white ball to the closed door and it shuddered. Slowly it opened, allowing a gentle hum to emanate from within.

Slowly everyone took gentle steps forward, afraid that the stairs would collapse, feeling that they should not be here. This place was sacred and a secret to those who did not need to know of it. Their presence would surely upset any Deity watching them. But they had no choice, they needed to go down there and save Aeris, save their beloved friend.

The last few stairs were behind them and disappointment fell over the group like a heavy blanket. It was empty. Not a trace of Aeris or Sephiroth.

"Not here..." Tifa whimpered, her guilt growing stronger each passing moment without Aeris. Yuffie placed her hand softly on Tifa's shoulder, silently trying to speak to her, telling her it would be okay. Yuffie was still unsure if she truly believed it would work out okay. Aeris was usually the positive and optimistic one. Originally Yuffie was only in this venture for the materia. But slowly, these people had become her friends, relationships she valued more than Gil.

Vincent sighed, unusually upset by the lack of evidence. "Now where?" He looked to Barret, as though he was silently blaming him for this failed venture. It _had_ been Barret's suggestion to check here first.

"Ionno." was all he managed to reply.

Cloud stepped forward, retaking his leadership role, something of which had been handed to him. Cloud never thought of himself as any type of leader but he did accept the role without question. "There's a little town down south of here... really far south. Mideel. How about we try there? Something about it feels right." Tifa nodded, knowing he had some kind of connection to Sephiroth but did not want to question how or why. Or if it was a good thing.

Turning to leave, they exited the little Altar, Tifa bringing up the rear. She stood before the doorway and turned, looking back to where Aeris had kissed Sephiroth. She vaguely wondered what would have happened had Aeris not stood up to him. Would they have been able to save her in time or would she have been run through by the Masamune?

She kissed the white materia and sighed. "Please be safe, Aeris. Please." she whispered to it before walking through the doorway, watching the entrance seal itself once again.

**~End of Chapter Eight~**

Oy, that should not have taken as long as it did to write.

Well, I decided to see what was up with the groups little visit to see if Aeris was being sacrificed. Obviously, we all know better. But they don't! Poor Tifa.

I apologize that this is so so SO short. I'm having serious brain farts lately and can't think properly. Bleh.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

Wow, this took me forever. It took me a while to figure out where to go. But I think this turned out alright. It's a little too "Wow, ain't that convenient!" but meh, that's how it always works in these situations! I hope you guys enjoy this. Read and review!

* * *

Aeris's arm ached softly from where the needle had taken her blood. It wasn't enough to make her flinch but the aching was enough to irk her a bit. But being so much like herself, she shook it off. She decided today, she was a girl on a mission. She would show Sephiroth Lucrecia was his real mother. There were countless research documents and other such things so somewhere there was some kind of written documentation of her. At least, that was what Aeris assumed.

She pulled herself gingerly from her bed, pulling on a light white robe. As quiet as she could manage she opened the door and closed it softly behind her. She knew the way to the basement and she knew that was where any papers concerning Jenova Project S would be, tucked away from prying eyes. Luckily, she was not prying. She was on a mission, a mission to prove he was loved by his mother until her last moments. Aeris did not know the exact details of his birth or anything else but what she did know she figured would help her locate any more information that she could show him. If she had something tangible he couldn't argue with that, not logically. And Sephiroth seemed like a logical enough person... for the most part.

Aeris suspected the illogical parts of him were direct cause of Jenova and whatever brain washing had obviously taken place there in his head, their strange connection between each other. The one she seemed to interrupt some how. It couldn't be her Cetran powers. If that were true the Ancients would not have been nearly completely defeated by Jenova and they certainly wouldn't be in this predicament. No, this had to have something with Aeris directly. But what? That part made no sense to the young woman. She was nothing special aside from the Cetran blood flowing through her veins. Aside from that, she was just an average woman.

The flower girl shook her head and continued her self titled mission, heading towards the creepy basement. Nothing was scarier, not even a haunted mansion. This place _was_ haunted, actually. Nothing here seemed normal or safe. She prayed with all of her being that any monsters that were residing downstairs were banished when Sephiroth decided to use this as a prison, for lack of a better word. What else could one call it? Not being allowed to leave and should one try, an alarm would raise? That certainly fit the general description of any prison Aeris had heard of. But ahead on her way she did go, determined to find any information she could.

She was thankful that Sephiroth had not decided to use this room to sleep in but the door to the basement was open. She thought for a moment, why could that possibly be? She didn't sense him down there. No, he was down the hall asleep it seemed. But it was open nonetheless. Well, this was just a good omen or luck. No further hesitation holding her back, she began the decent down the spiral stairs, the wooden planks groaning under her light weight. Not loud enough to awaken the man upstairs but enough to make the hair rise on Aeris's arms and back of her neck. It was an eerie sound of the wood creaking, threatening to break under her foot. She was certain it would not. After all, these stairs had been here for many years so why would they break now of all times? And under her weight, it would be unlikely. But she couldn't shake that fear from the back of her mind, even when she put logic into it. Instead, she hurried her pace so she would lessen the chance of falling through a step.

Aeris skipped the last couple of stairs and made a small leap for the landing, knowing it was at least safe to some degree. It was significantly darker than when she had been here with Cloud. Maybe that was because she was alone now. Or maybe this place just devoured the light. The thought of a building eating any light seemed to amuse her and lighten her fear slightly. Enough that she was able to walk forward without being frightened. The spiders and cobwebs didn't bother her. What was a spider but something that could be stepped on, nothing to really fear. Not that they did not creep her out a bit but they were not _scary_.

The door to the library, this is where she hesitated. Did she really want to find this information? Would it even matter or would he tear it up in her face and laugh. She sighed, "No turning back now." she said defiantly, shoving her fears and worries to the farthest recesses of her mind. There was no sense it in. She was going to do whatever she could to find this information. It had to help somehow. And the worst that could happen is he disregard it. At this point, she doubted he would kill her. When she looked in his eyes she saw something other than hatred, even after only a few days. Something about him had changed, she could feel it in his presence.

He seemed more relaxed around her. It's not as though she posed any real threat but that wasn't the time of relaxing. It was something she could not place her finger on. It loomed over her head, begging to be examined further but she refused, for her own fear of what she may find. She was not afraid to feel an emotion towards him but she was still scared of him. His ultimate goal was to become a God, after all.

Aeris pushed onward, through the door way and began her search for _anything_ with Lucrecia's name on it. Sifting through some papers that were sitting on a shelf all she could see was Hojo's name. And certainly anything with his name would not have the desired effect on Sephiroth, he despised the man greatly. She couldn't blame him, he was a horrible man. He had no sense of humanity in his blood or any real compassion in him. He was the sorriest excuse for a human, Aeris thought.

She continued to search, opening books that looked as though they may contain anything useful. Unfortunately, very little of it was. Some mention of Jenova Project S were in a few papers and books but nothing useful in the least.

After two hours of countless searching Aeris grew frustrated. She leaned her back against a bookshelf and allowed herself to fall to the floor. She laid her head back, resting it against the dusty wood.

"I didn't think it would be this hard... maybe nothing really exists?" She sighed heavily, she didn't want to admit defeat but what else could she do? She had searched every book, every paper, everything! And she found _nothing_.

From the corner of her vision something caught her eye. It was atop a bookshelf but it was light in color, even under what seemed like mountains of dust. Aeris walked over to it but it was far atop and completely out of her short reach. She huffed, truly at her wits end. But this may just be something. She pulled a heavy chair over and stood on top it, her fingertips almost grazing the book. One foot onto a shelf and she had it, her prize. And with it in her possession, her balance failed her. She fell from her perch and came crashing onto the floor.

"Oh.." she moaned, standing up, "That must have been what it felt like, jez." She recalled how two men had fallen similar to that into her little church. But this wasn't the time to be reminiscing. She held the little book and turned it over, rubbing some of the dust off the cover. It didn't look like anything special but it didn't seem to belong with all these other books. It was lavender in color compared to the dark, leather bound books that made up the population of reading material in this basement.

She gently opened the cover and gasped in surprise. Inside it read in beautiful handwriting...

Lucrecia Crescent

~A journal during my stay in Nibelheim

Aeris had to hold onto the book tightly, it nearly slipped from her fingertips. This was what she wanted, this was her prize, everything she had bet on. She began skimming through it, looking for keywords that would hopefully lead toward what she needed to know.

Today, the answer became clear; humans were just not strong enough to endure the Jenova cells in their body. I watched as one went mad and another just fell apart, physically, in front of my very eyes. Even as a scientist, it was truly frightening. For the first time ever in my career, I considered leaving ShinRa.

Not being able to even imagine how terrible that would have been to witness, Aeris decided to skim through, trying not to read the words. She had forgotten momentarily that Lucrecia was a scientist, not just a ShinRa employee. The things she must have seen and later wrote about would surely give Aeris nightmares.

Then she noticed an entry that seemed promising.

I am very excited! I am finally pregnant! Me, a mother! This is more than I could have ever hoped for. I haven't told him yet but I am anxious to. I hope he is as excited as I am!

I always wanted to be a mother, even before I wanted to be a scientist. I may leave ShinRa after this project is through. Maybe we can retire and move someplace beautiful. Ha, listen to me, I am being a silly girl. But.. a baby. Thank you whoever has blessed me with such a gift.

A tear escaped Aeris's eyes. She knew most of the story from here. She decided to skip the majority of what was contained in these parts, not wanting to know how Hojo convinced Lucrecia to use their child as an experiment. She flipped through the pages until she found the last entry.

Oh, Gods, how I wish I stood up to him back then. If I could take it all back I would. I would give my life to have done it differently. To have ran when I found out about my child.

Please, my son... please forgive me.

I love you.

Sephiroth.

The tears rolled down Aeris's cheek. She was right... Lucrecia loved her son. But she hadn't thought the proof of this would tug so harshly at her heartstrings. This was it. Her proof. He could not deny it now.

Aeris ran up the stairs, ignoring the little pain in her ankle from her stumble. She was determined to show this to him now before something happened. Before the little book fell apart. Holding it as though it were the most precious thing in the world to her, Aeris shoved the door open with her body, obviously startling Sephiroth.

His eyes narrowed. "What on Gaia are you doing?" She thrust the book out to him showing him the final page. "And this is..?"

"Read it." She said firmly, her gaze intent. He had never thought this girl could pull off such a look. He took the book lazily from her hand and turned his head downward to read it. Aeris stood impatient and nervous, awaiting some kind of response.

He studied it carefully, reading each word slowly. He flipped to the inside cover, seeing the name she had mentioned before. He did not look at her. "This is... impossible... my Mother is Jenova...?"

"You can see right there... you were only injected with Jenova _cells_, Sephiroth. Your Mother... Lucrecia..." Aeris fought back tears to no avail. He looked up at her with a look of dumbfound covering his face.

_'Impossible, impossible... there's no way.. Mother.. but... no... NO!'_ he dropped the book onto the floor where it made a loud noise. He put his head in his hands, trying desperately to grasp the situation but none of it made sense to him. Mother has always been Mother. But... Lucrecia... obviously this was the woman who gave birth to him. So that made her his _true _Mother.

Aeris did not want to pity him, knowing he would not appreciate it one bit or even retaliate. But she did sit on the bed next to him and wrap her arms around him, desperate to comfort him in some way.

"I won't say I understand what you are feeling but... I am here..." she whispered softly.

**~End of Chapter Nine~**

Once I got going, this kept flowing. Took me just over an hour, as I predicted. Once again, a short chapter. But it wouldn't leave me alone and darn it, I am tired. So it's 6:16 AM and I am posting this and going to bed. I hope it wasn't too terrible :x I'm so self conscious about my writing, gah.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

Oy, I keep taking too long. This chapter actually took me awhile to write. I'm not sure why. I had it completely planned out in my head but it just didn't want to be written. I think it's a little cheesy :x But eh, this is a romantic story, it's supposed to be all mushy-wushy-woo-woo! Anyways, try to enjoy. I'm thinking that the next chapter will introduce the lemony goodness, if I don't fail at writing it, haha.

Please read the after part of this, the rest of the note at the end of the chapter.

* * *

Sephiroth let her hold him, let her attempt to comfort him. But the thoughts racing through his mind were pushing him to his limits. Everyone had told him his Mother died giving birth to him. But they had also said that his Mother was Jenova. Now this woman, Lucrecia... this was a whole new mystery to him. If she did in fact give birth to him then did she die as everyone always stated or was she alive somewhere on the planet? Everyone in his life had lied to him before now so there was a chance she was still somewhere, alive.

If she was, he needed to find her. He had so many questions for her. But where would he even begin to look?

"She came to me," Aeris spoke softly, only slightly above a whisper. "That night you took me. Her voice was calling to me. That's why I was out there." She pulled her arms away from him and he stared at her, his eyes full of more emotions than he had ever felt in his entire life. "I can still feel her..." She closed her eyes, looking out the dusty window.

He stood up, looking down at her. "Where can I find her, Aeris? Tell me." While demanding in his statement, he was not threatening. Aeris thought of him as a child just needing to know the answer. Not intimidating, not trying to scare an answer, just _need_. That was all she felt from him. Opening her eyes, she stared at him. It felt as though someone else was taking over her body. She stood and walked to the window, staring out at it.

She pointed north-east. "That way... that is where this feeling is coming from." Sephiroth glanced out the window momentarily then quickly rushed out of the room. Aeris only stood there, not looking back at him and not flinching when the door downstairs slammed shut. She felt uneasy. She was wondering if this was a good thing, telling him who his Mother truly was. Yes, he had every right to know and he _should _know.

But maybe she should have gone with him at least, to make sure he found the right place. Aeris herself was not sure of the destination but she could feel something pulling her, calling to her similar to before but without a voice to audibly call her. A whisper of a sigh escaped her lips, she was alone again. She didn't like being alone. Especially not in such a big, eerie house like this.

Sephiroth wasted no time in leaving the mansion, anxiety taking over his usually calm or emotionless demeanor. Unfortunately the directions he had been given were fairly vague, making this journey of his seem a rather foolish. But The Great Sephiroth was not going to be hindered by something as insignificant as not having a determined path ahead of him. He would find where Aeris told him to go, no matter what. There was no other option. Failure has _never_ been an option for Sephiroth.

He didn't glance back as he slammed the door shut, didn't think anything else except where he was headed. Storm clouds were beginning to move in to Nibelheim, a bad omen perhaps. Nothing was going to stop or delay this venture, not even Jenova.

As fast as his feet could carry him, he continued past mountains and rivers until he felt a soft presence, similar to what he felt when he was around Aeris. It made him stop dead in his tracks, desperately try to lock on this feeling. He turned around, hearing the sound of a waterfall. There was something unusual about it indeed, something that begged to be investigated further. He cautiously stepped forward, water splashing onto his boots. There was indeed something strange about this place. The feeling was strong in this spot.

A gentle, soothing light emanated from inside, making him all that much more curious. Hesitant at first, he stepped forward. The dank little cavern was full of nothing, as he anticipated. He turned to leave, thoroughly disappointed. The clicking of something metal on the stone made Sephiroth freeze where he stood, hands on his sword.

Into view came Vincent Valentine, who appeared surprised.

"Sephiroth." A statement that was answered with only a nod.

"You aren't with Cloud's little pack of idiots any more?"

The man shook his head. "Cloud is... sick. So I decided to pay her a visit."

"'Her'?" A nod from Vincent who pointed to the back of the little cavern. Encased in beautiful crystals was a woman. Sephiroth stepped forward, intrigued by this. A woman trapped in crystal... that sounded like some sort of fairy tale.

Vincent stood by his side, suddenly not concerned that his enemy was so close. "Lucrecia." he whispered.

Sephiroth's blood ran cold. That name just kept popping up. But now he could put a face to the name. He looked at her, noticing similar features. "Is this really..." he whispered.

"Yes." Vincent affirmed, knowing fully well what Sephiroth was thinking. "Where is she, Sephiroth?"

"Answer my questions and I will answer yours... Why did she agree to it, the testing?"

Vincent looked troubled. "I cannot say. She loved him. And her guilt brought her here, to this. I cannot tell you anything else. Where is Aeris?"

Sephiroth turned to leave, sensing something between his Mother and this man. He had enough answers for now and whatever else he needed to know he could search the journal. "She is safe... you will see her soon." Before he could exit the cave, he suddenly felt as though he was being enveloped in that same warm and soothing light that brought him in before. He stood still, enjoying the feeling. _**"Sephiroth... you came."**_ A voice whispered to him. It was kind and gentle, not like Jenova. _**"I can only hope you will forgive me, my son. I do not deserve it. But I am glad to see you are alive."**_

He turned around and was shocked to see he was not in the little cave anymore. He was in a hazy space, a soft scent of lavender. Nothing had ever made Sephiroth this much at ease in his life. And in front of him was the woman who had been trapped the crystal moments before. Her eyes staring into him, straight into his soul.

"Mother.. I-"

She interrupted him. "Sephiroth... this is all my fault. I will never be able to atone for my sins or take back what I have done. But now you have the power to _change everything_." He looked confused but she only smiled, admiring her beautiful son. "There is someone who cares very much for you. And you now hold in your hands what can change everything and stop what you have already done. Cloud will be well shortly and he will know where to look for her." She sighed softly, contemplating what to tell him. "I cannot tell you how to do it. But you have been given a second chance at making things right for yourself, Sephiroth. Please... please take it."

"That man.. he travels with Cloud. Who is he?"

He watched as Lucrecia blushed. "He is Vincent... he loved me. I should have eloped with him as he suggested," she chuckled. "But then, I would not have you, my dear." She kissed his cheek. "I love you.. I have always loved you. Please Sephiroth.. save this Planet. This is your life now, not Jenova's, not Hojo's. Yours..." slowly she vanished and the haziness disappeared. He was standing facing the waterfall once again.

He heard Vincent behind him as he stepped to the crystal. He decided it was time to head back to Aeris and discuss with her how to save the Planet she so loved, that she laid her life down for. Stepping outside the cave he was met with an onslaught of rain and thunder. He shrugged it off as he made his way forward, back to Aeris.

**~End of Chapter Ten~**

Yeah this took me _days._ It should not have, really. But it did. I personally think it was a little boring but it was sweet, too.

I took inspiration from the scenes in Advent Children where Aeris speaks to Cloud, although he never sees her face. I loved those scenes and wanted to change it a little bit and use it here.

I actually did want to embellish a little bit more about Lucrecia and Vincent and their feelings toward one another but I decided I will do this later.

As we know, Cloud gets another serious dose of Mako poisoning. I am not gonna actually write about that because this story focuses on Sephy and Aeris. So here's a quick summary of how I changed it.

The group arrives at Mideel, asking around if anyone had seen Aeris or Sephiroth. The Mako being so strong there, it ends up pulling Cloud in some how. Being as sick as he was when they pull him out of it in the game, some of the group breaks off for a little while, giving Tifa time alone to deal with him. Obviously, Vincent goes to where Lucrecia is. I haven't thought about where anyone else would go so you can all assume there. I suppose that Cloud will get better but probably not in the same way in the game since Aeris isn't dead. Maybe Lucrecia will help him. Anyways, there's your summary! Woo!


	11. Chapter 11

**Pre-Author's Note**

Usually I write my author's notes when I'm finished, including the one in the beginning. But I had to say this...

Watching Barney + trying to write a lemon = well... you guys are smart, you figure it out x.x

Thankfully, I roleplay on a forum a lot these days so I think that's been benefiting my writing a little bit. Not so much on the length but maybe the depth? Ionno, you guys tell me.

**Actual Author's Note**

Okay, this DOES contain lemony goodness, although it isn't REALLY detailed. You have been warned.

And I want to thank ALL of you guys who review, it makes me so happy to see the number of reviews go up and to read how much you guys liked my chapters. I hope you guys enjoy this one as well.

* * *

Aeris had made her lonely way downstairs, still a little dazed. She wasn't quite sure why she had pointed to that direction or of the reason she seemed so certain that was where Sephiroth needed to go. Something was telling her to relay that information and she assumed it was Lucrecia herself that was influencing this decision. Aeris had accomplished her mission... now what? Where did that leave her?

Sephiroth knew the truth now and hopefully he found more answers or would soon. Now she was alone. Being alone was something she was familiar with but it was different now. With Sephiroth gone, she felt as though she was the only person in the world, as silly as that may seem. She did her best to push a chuckle, trying desperately to shake herself out of this strange fog. He would come back, she was certain of that. But would he be happy or angry?

Anger seemed somewhat logical. After so many years of being lied to, being made fun of and so many other horrible things she couldn't even imagine, it was likely he would be disturbed by the sudden truth. If her Mother had suddenly appeared out of no where, it would probably frighten her. She knew her Mother to be dead, unfortunately. Her Mother had returned to the planet and there was no chance of seeing her again until Aeris returned as well. She recalled again how close she had come to such a thing and now look at things. Sephiroth was, as it turned out, not such an evil person at all, just mislead. Yes, he had to be held responsible for what he had done but if he could change... if he had changed then he deserved his second chance. Doesn't everyone deserve that, after all?

Humanity is made imperfect. We can never achieve perfection no matter how hard we strive to reach it, it is impossible. Therefore, we will always makes mistakes. So long as we learn from them, atone for our sins and seek true forgiveness, Aeris didn't think someone could be condemned for a few mistakes.

But were Sephiroth's sins too much to forgive? He had killed many people, including the entire town of Nibelheim, Tifa's father and Cloud's mother included. Would they forgive him... _could_ they? Some things cannot be forgiven nor forgotten. But there had to be some way Aeris could show her friends that Sephiroth was a soul worth saving and an incredible ally.

_'If he comes back,'_ her mind reminded her. There was always a chance he would leave for good. What was she to him anyway but a little girl who got in the way? But the way he looked at her, could she deny there was an emotion in his eyes? She saw the desire as much as she tried to avoid acknowledging it but it made something inside her burn, a feeling that looking away did not defeat. The aching in her body that said she needed to be held, kissed, _loved_.

She didn't want to feel this way and especially not towards him. But it was difficult for her to resist him. He was _beautiful_, like an angel. And now she was seeing that even his _soul_ was beautiful. Aeris sighed, pushing these thoughts to the side for now. She could thoroughly examine all of this later, or even muster up the courage to speak directly to him. She blushed softly, not imagining how she could ever do something like that. She had men say things to her but the other way around? That seemed so unusual for her, she was too shy.

Aeris walked to the window on the far side of the room, wiping the dust off the panes so she could see through it. "Awfully dark..." she noted aloud. The clouds kept blowing in, growing more and more menacing with each passing moment. The rain began spattering onto the roof and windows. She admired it, smiling softly to herself. The rain was always a blessing and it was something to be enjoyed. There was never really any rain in the Slums, not enough to make a big deal about. But this was a lot of rain! She could hear it pounding on the roof overhead and she smiled, knowing it would feed the plants and animals and make everything beautiful.

She stood there, watching it for a few moments, growing more and more anxious. Sephiroth would be caught out in this rain. That made her frown, what if he got sick? Turning on her heels, Aeris made her way to the kitchen, looking for a teapot and cups. '_A warm cup of tea would be perfect when he gets back.'_ She thought, smiling. Yes, she was refusing to think that Sephiroth would not come back. She rejected any of those pessimistic thoughts out of her mind by speaking out loud the process of making her tea.

"First the pot... ah, gotcha!" she picked up an antique looking cast iron kettle an began filling it with water. "Okay done... now it has to go onto the stove." she flipped the burner on and placed the kettle gently onto the little fire. "So now..." she cocked her head, "Cups! Yeah, Tea cups!" The only ones she could manage to find were dainty, floral pattern, expensive looking china. She hesitated at first, she didn't want to break them. But at the same time, they were the only tea cups in the whole kitchen. She took them out of the cupboard along with their matching saucers and set them onto the counter top. The only tea bags were the ones they had bought at the little store and they were just plain green tea. But that seemed fine enough, she only wanted a warm drink to be waiting for Sephiroth.

A door slam startled Aeris from her thoughts of tea and rain. She hurried into the entryway to see him there, dripping wet and a very unhappy expression on his face. Aeris stifled a giggle, "Welcome back! Let me go get you a towel really fast, okay? I've got tea warming up so just wait in the kitchen." She hurried up the staircase and disappeared from Sephiroth's view.

"Silly girl..." he muttered as he kicked off his shoes and made his way into the kitchen, sitting at the little table. Glancing around, he saw the tea kettle, smiling. She had thought of him, this surprised Sephiroth a little bit. True, he had expected that she would be happy to see him but thinking of his own well being and comfort? This was a little strange, no one had ever really fussed over him or his happiness before now. He thought back to what Lucrecia told him that someone cared for him very much. He hadn't paid too much attention to it at the time, far too shocked to see her standing before him. But who else could she be talking about if not Aeris? He rested his elbow on the table and his chin atop his fist. Curious, indeed, did she care for him? If he had been feared as he was at first, she probably would not have made him tea or even care. This girl presented new mysteries and surprises with every passing moment he spent with her.

"Here!" she tossed a towel at him, which he caught and began drying his arms. Aeris bravely decided to dry his hair, mussing it this way and that, while she hummed a little bit. Sephiroth sat there, an internal debate tearing him up inside. Should he make her stop or allow her to continue this girlish act? He didn't think it could cause any harm at this point and he had to admit it _was_ rather cute.

She set the towel on the back of another chair while rushing off, again, to fetch the tea. Sephiroth noted that she was full of energy, completely different than she was when he had left this morning. But he liked seeing her like this, the mere definition of life resonating within this girl, this Aeris. She was truly some thing special, a diamond in the rough or a flower in Midgar, if one prefers.

To think that only a few days ago he was moments from ending her life. He couldn't even recall the malice he felt then, it seemed so far away. And it didn't seem to matter. Tea cups on their saucers placed softly on the table, Aeris took the chair next to him.

"Did you... did you find her?" Gentle hands clasping the little cup as though it were dust in the wind, he watched intently as she brought it to her lips, sipping gingerly from it. She caught his stare and gave him a sideways smile. "Well, Sephy?"

"Yes, I found her. And we spoke." Her eye brows raised. "Not in the literal sense, as you and I are doing now," he added. "but rather in a dream like haze, you understand?" She nodded, then motioned for him to continue. "She said she loved me, said that she was sorry. Also... that I now have the power to change the wrongs I have done. She wants me to." He deliberately left the part about Lucrecia stating that someone cared for him, there was no point in bothering Aeris with something such as that and he truly did not want to speak about it right now. He removed his gloves, setting them down next to his cup. He picked the little cup up and took a small sip. He'd had tea before but this, although from a little bag, was the best tasting tea he had ever tried.

He wanted desperately to say something to Aeris, anything, but he could not find any words that would not sound ridiculous. He looked back up at her, she was staring out the window. There was not much to see, it was past nightfall and the clouds were sure to be blocking out any moon or starlight that would have normally illuminated the little town. Sephiroth was admiring the beauty of the storm clouds when he saw Aeris flinch at the sight of the lightning from his peripheral vision. He stared at her with curiosity. And when the thunder boomed overhead, she squealed in fear.

"Aeris... are you seriously afraid of thunder?" he asked in a flat tone, hiding his amusement.

She, however was not amused. "Yes."

He reached out and patted her head. "Poor little kitten." he teased.

"'Kitten'?"

Sephiroth nodded, "Yes, kitten. You are not the only one who can give out nicknames, you know." She gave her now patented sideways smile as she finished her tea. She rose from her chair, placed her cup and the kettle into the sink, waiting for Sephiroth to follow suit. He stood next to her when another crash of thunder startled Aeris, making her grasp onto Sephiroth's arm. He looked down at her, unable to hide his smile any longer. "Poor little kitten. What am I ever to do with you?"

Her eyes were truly frightened. "Don't leave me, okay?" He couldn't speak, could barely comprehend what she had just asked of him. _'Don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me...'_ He had never heard anyone say such words to him. In fact, it was usually the opposite of that. Unable to make the words leave his mouth, he nodded to her. The little Flower Girl smiled brightly at him, taking the cup from his hands. Now it was his turn to be in a daze. Things were not anywhere what he had planned a few days ago. Originally, he had decided she would be dead by now. But things had, obviously, changed. The feeling in the pit of his stomach, anxiety mixed with something else, something he had not felt before. _'Was this what it was like to have butterflies in one's stomach?' _Sephiroth thought. He'd never had someone to care about, no grade-school crushes or high-school sweethearts, like so many of his peers had spoken of fondly. Sephiroth only had himself through his entire life. But this girl here made the difference.

And he suddenly realized how stupid he had been. He was about to throw everything away for someone claiming to be his Mother because he was _weak._ What child does not ache for parent's love and approval? Jenova captured him in this weak time and fed him more lies. Everything, everyone was always a lie to Sephiroth. Aeris had only tried to show him the truth and he was ready to _kill_ her for it?

He looked down into her innocent green eyes, this girl may be naive but that didn't mean she deserved to die for it. In fact, she deserved a damned medal for her bravery. She stood up to him and was determined not to damn him to Hades for his sins but to offer forgiveness, atonement and _acceptance_. Aeris was like nothing he had ever heard of. The love in her heart for all things was immeasurable and unbelievable.

Yet another crash of thunder brought Aeris into his chest where he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. "It's only a little thunder..." she whimpered against his chest. His lips curved into a smile. "Why don't you just go to sleep? That way, when you wake, the storm will have passed." A muffled agreement could barely be heard from her but she did not move. Sephiroth had never seen someone so afraid of thunder. This girl stood up to him but was frightened by nature? He simply shook his head, picking her up in his arms and carrying her to her bedroom.

Aeris relished being held by him. "So warm," she muttered, barely audible. There was no sense in denying how she felt about Sephiroth any longer, her heart wouldn't allow it. He set her down, looking once again into her eyes, seeing a cornucopia of emotions in them. So badly did he want to bend down and kiss her but he resisted, unwilling to make the first move. What if he read her wrong and she was _not_ interested in him at all, then he would just push her further away. After coming so far in realizing his own feelings toward her, he didn't want to push those onto her or destroy any chance he had. He had never felt this way about any woman before. Sure, there had been women who threw themselves at him and it was not as though he did not take the opportunities. But this girl was different. She hesitantly pulled away from his gaze, walking to the bed.

The sound of the rain on the glass seemed to distract her so Sephiroth decided to take his leave before he was pushed any further to his limits. "Good night. I'm only down the hallway."

"No! You said you wouldn't leave me!" He turned to look at her, anger covering her face. He didn't quite understand, did she mean him to sleep on the floor or standing up? Sensing his confusion, Aeris rolled her eyes. "This bed is big enough for five people. I think we can share it." That threw him for a loop. He shook his head to no avail. "You have to protect me from the thunder..." she crossed her arms defiantly.

"Protect you from the thunder? It's not like it can eat you, Aeris." Her only reply was a pouty lip, one which he could not resist. Hanging his head in defeat, he began to undress himself until he was wearing only his black pants. _'You win this round, kitten.'_ Sephiroth desperately tried to hide a smirk as he crawled into the bed.

She happily shed her robe and hopped into the bed, keeping a foot of distance between them. Acting like a spoiled princess was not something she enjoyed doing, truth be told, but she wanted to be near him again. There was some truth in what she was telling him, she didn't want to be alone on a stormy night. Having been deprived of thunder in the slums, it was an alien sound to her and truly frightened her. But with only the sound of the rain on the window and roof along side Sephiroth's breathing, she couldn't have asked for a better lullaby.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, was slowly being driven crazy by this situation. It was not that he didn't enjoy being close to Aeris, for truthfully, he did. But in a bed with her? That was proving to be too much. Had she done this on purpose, perhaps? Played upon her innocent features and feminine wiles, telling him a story of how she was scared of the thunder? She hadn't lied to him yet so why now, he argued. A flash of lightening lit the entire room up and apparently knocked the power out as well. Another terrified squeal from Aeris and Sephiroth prepared her for the rumble of thunder to soon follow by closing the space between them, encompassing her within his arms.

The thunder came and went without notice for Aeris's eyes were focused only on his, shocked by his sudden movement. He hadn't wanted to make any passes at her but this was unintentional. His goal had been only to comfort her but now he may have crossed the line in the sand. The childlike curiosity gone from her eyes, Aeris continued to stare deeply into his eyes, unwavering. Without thinking, his arms tightened around her, drawing her into his body further, pressing her slender frame against his. She did not back away or appear scared of this change. In fact, it looked as though she was welcoming it.

Determining that it was far too late to turn back now, Sephiroth let his instincts take over him. One hand caressing her cheek, his lips met hers, reminiscent of that first kiss that seemed so long ago. Aeris moaned softly into the kiss, quelling all his worries of her desires. Her body pressed further into him, making him ache to touch her even more. _'Pure evil,'_ he thought as his hands traveled down to her hips, pulling them to his. Savoring the taste of her lips and tongue, Sephiroth began to pull the hem up, only breaking their kiss for a moment to slip it over her head. An evil smirk played upon his lips as he thought about all the pent up tension he had for this moment. He nipped at her lips before moving straight to her neck, biting her hard enough to make her cry out but not cause her pain. He continued to nip and bite his way down her neck and shoulder as her shaky hands began fumbling with the clasp on his pants.

Sephiroth wanted badly to explore her body more but the tension and anticipation took over when she finally undid his pants, he couldn't wait any longer to have her. Flipping her onto her back, he removed his pants quickly, casting them aside without thought. He separated her legs, positioning himself at her entrance. His eyes met with hers, asking and pleading for a response, unsure if he could handle a 'no'.

Aeris bit her lip, as though she were mulling it over in her head but only briefly before nodding to him. His arms wrapped around her shoulders from underneath her arms as he thrust into her, finally fulfilling the need that had been plaguing since he brought her here. But instead of the moans he had anticipated, he was met with a scream. His blood went cold as he looked down at Aeris, her eyes were full of tears.

_'Oh... shit.'_ was all he could think, cursing himself for not giving it a thought before. Of course she had to think her answer over, this was her _first time_. Whom else would it have been with? Zack, ha, that he doubted. And certainly not Cloud. He rested his forehead on hers, kissing her softly. "Oh kitten," he cooed, "I am _so_ sorry."

She opened her eyes, reaching for his cheek. "I-it's okay.. I should have said something." She smiled through her tears of pain. "I am glad that it is with you, though."

His eyes met hers. "Truly?" Her statement surprised him, most girls choose to give their maidenhood to someone they see fully deserving and Sephiroth didn't feel that was him.

"Truly." Kissing his nose, she nuzzled his neck while wrapping her legs around his waist, urging him to go on. He wasn't the only one with pent up emotions.

Sephiroth cradled her head against his neck, cooing softly to her as he started out slow and gentle. It was an internal struggle to keep that pace but he continued it for her sake alone. Her pain subsided and soft moans began to escape her mouth, urging him to continue. His pace quickened only slightly, not wanting to assault her with the viciousness he wanted to give her but perhaps not in the exact sense of the word. Gradually, he continued increasing his speed and the power he put behind his thrusts, reveling in her every moan and gasp. Her first orgasm came quickly and violently, shocking her with the intensity. She tightening her legs around his waist, threatening to cause him to climax with her. But Sephiroth was determined to please her just a bit longer.

Aeris was nearly out of breath when Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her tightly as he climaxed, biting down on her neck once again. He had never heard his name sound more angelic than when it escaped her lips and he _loved_ it.

Sephiroth moved onto his back, laying Aeris at his side, her head on his chest. Her eyes were closed. "Already asleep kitten? You poor thing..." he kissed her forehead before drifting off into sleep himself.

**~End of Chapter Eleven~**

O. M. G. This took me forever to write. And halfway through, the "P" key stopped working unless I slammed on it. And you will never realize how much you use a P until you write a lemon, apparently.

Anyways, I hope this was decent enough. I didn't wanna go into full details but leave it up to you guys to visualize the scene in your head... like I was... **-**drool- Ahem! Anyway.

Please review.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note**

Wowowow I've been putting this off forever it seems. Just so much stuff kept coming up! A new linkshell in Final Fantasy XI has kept me all kinds of busy and my youngest son's birthday is this Saturday (He's gonna be one!) so I've been super busy. I'm so glad that I finally was able to sit down and write this. Once I started it went easy, although it's short as always. But at least it's here. There's a bit more humor in this chapter than I intended but I think it's to make up for the seriousness that is going to happen... eventually. I'm debating over one item in my original draft of this story so this might change slightly from what I had planned in the beginning.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. I like making Sephiroth question his own thoughts, it seems. :3

* * *

Sleep came difficult for Sephiroth that night. He was plagued by images of Cloud coming to "save" Aeris. Except in these dreams... it didn't end well. Each time he was struck down by the blond. And each time he would wake up, unsure of why these dreams were bothering him so. There was hardly any debate necessary for who would win. Sephiroth had him outmatched in speed, skill, strength and of course, weaponry. The only thing Cloud had on his side was numbers. He looked over at Aeris, sighing heavily. She would be the reason he would lose. Just days ago the thought of Cloud's undoing would send him into reels of laughter but now he couldn't do it. Could not bring himself to imagine killing the moron. Aeris would truly be the downfall of him. There was no way Sephiroth could prove himself worthy of the groups trust. Unless...

"Unless I destroy... Jenova." The thought of it sent shivers down his spine. _Kill Mother?_ How could he? Bu the conflicting information he had received that Jenova wasn't his Mother was not easy to accept. After so many years of being told Jenova was his true Mother how could he just toss that aside? Was it even possible? But that would be the only way he could have a life with Aeris and be accepted into the little group of dingbats.

Was Aeris really worth throwing the only person who ever professed to care for him away forever? Perhaps he was misguided by Jenova but she was always there, in the back of his mind. Even if he could kill her, _how_ was the real question. It wouldn't be as simple as walking up to her and stabbing her. She could put him through soul tearing pain without a second thought at the slightest inkling of Sephiroth's disobedience. Should he physically destroy her there was still the matter of the cells in his body. That would require purification of the highest power. There was nothing he could do.

But Aeris... being around her set his soul free, he could relax and enjoy her company. Everything about her was heaven sent, especially her smile and touch. How anyone could resist the purity of that soul was a mystery beyond his knowledge. The thought of spending his life with her sent him into ecstasy but it seemed almost unattainable, just that far out of reach that his fingertips were touching it but unable to grasp it.

Cloud and the others would be here soon, he could feel them pressing closer each minute. Time was running out to make a decision. Stay with this girl or destroy everything she loved. It seemed to be an obvious choice. "Whatever it takes..." he whispered, nodding to himself.

Sephiroth kissed her nose gently and tried to untangle himself from her limbs. Just as he was freed she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back into her.

"Where are you going?" she asked him, her eyes wide. The room was still dark which told her it was very, very early in the morning.

"My love," he began slowly, carefully thinking his words through. "Your friends are going to be here today, later this morning. I thought it best to leave before they arrived." Aeris furrowed her brow, obviously not understanding. "I believe I found a way to stay with you. Permanently. But it isn't going to be easy. We will be apart for a little while."

"How long?" He loved how straight forward she could be over certain topics. Her face was completely serious, no jokes hiding underneath that almost angry face. The thought of Aeris angry nearly made him smile but he decided it would be better to not smile for fear of what she may do to him.

He shook his head. "I am not entirely sure. I will be gone for at least a couple of weeks. And it could stretch further than that."

She had propped herself up on her elbow, staring at him as though she intended to hit him. "That long?" she cried. "I think I will die if I am apart from you for that long! Oh Sephiroth, please stay. We can convince them!"

"They will never believe us, Aeris. I've brainwashed you."

She rolled her eyes, "I think _I_ brainwashed _you_."

Sephiroth smiled at her. "Now please, listen to me carefully. I am going to leave you a pouch of gil on your dresser. Do with it whatever you will. Convince your friends to stay on the go but stay here for a few days. Give me enough time to get a good distance between us. If you sense me, tell them otherwise. When the time comes, I will come to you."

"How will you know where I am?" she placed her chin on his shoulder.

"I can always sense you, kitten." she chuckled lightly and nipped his neck. He laid her onto her back. "They will arrive a few hours after the sun rises this morning. So I believe you should get more sleep because you will be in for a lot of questions."

She sighed. "Don't leave...not yet, please." she whispered. Tears were filling her eyes. She dreaded any time apart from Sephiroth but she knew he had to leave. He would come back. But when?

He bent down and kissed her lips gently, knowing how bruised they must be. He kicked himself mentally for not being more gentle. Her first time and he acted like a wild animal until she screamed. He was such a fool. But this time, he would be ever so gentle.

Sephiroth held Aeris until her breathing grew steady and shallow and her body became heavy. He slowly pulled away from her and began the search for his clothing. He had no time to bathe so that would have to wait until he made camp. He dressed himself as quickly as possible. The sun was beginning to rise. He drew the curtains so the room would remain dark until the sunlight hit the window.

He went back to Aeris's side and kissed her gently on her forehead. "I love you, Aeris."

"...love you too, angel," she mumbled in her sleep.

He smiled and turned to leave the room, placing the pouch laden with gil on the dresser. "Stay safe," he whispered as he walked out of the room, leaving the door open just a hair.

* * *

Finally the group arrived at Nibelheim, their last guess for Aeris's locale. Although Vincent had suggested it right before heading to Mideel but no one really thought it would be _that_ obvious. Thankfully Vincent was not the "told you so" type.

Their stay in Mideel was less than desirable. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Only Cloud would fall into the Mako there and become very sick. Truth be told, he was lucky to have survived it at all but then to have become so weak. It was Tifa's worst nightmare. First she loses Aeris and then Cloud was on the verge of leaving her as well. Somehow through it all, she pulled him out, out of his self-made persona and back into reality, where he belonged. Tifa was startled by Cloud at first, the memories that came back to him seemed to frighten him. Zack's death was remembered vividly and for a moment a wave of panic had came over him. Everyone else had left when he became ill. Everyone but Tifa and she was the one to help him through it all. He owed her everything and when his thoughts did not fall on Aeris, they were on Tifa and how he could never have repaid her.

Cloud called everyone back to resume their search. He knew where to go although he could not explain how. It was a strong force pulling him to Nibelheim. He was positive that was where she was. Everyone followed wordlessly, each equally confused by the sudden change. Cloud was always sort of a wishy-washy person but he seemed much more confident. Perhaps that startlingly beautiful brunette on his heels had something to do with it, they secretly speculated.

Upon arriving in Nibelheim's main gate, the group rushed to the inn, asking the workers if they had seen either Aeris or Sephiroth. At first, they were unwilling to give any information. A powerful man carrying an Unholy amount of blade on his person at all times? Not someone they wanted to share information about. Although when Tifa mentioned a wonderful reward, they were all too happy to divulge. The moment the workers confirmed the description of the two and that they were staying at the ShinRa Mansion, Cloud and Tifa ran as fast as they could down through the tiny town. Tifa's "reward" was nothing more than the rest of the group standing guard, although better than her original intention which was to start handing out ass-kickings.

The gates to the eerie mansion were wide open but there was a lock on the door. Tifa pulled on it, hoping it would give way. Every ounce of her begged it to open, praying it would. Unfortunately, not all prayers are answered. Cloud simply drew his sword and had at it, shattering the lock as though it were fragile glass. Neither paid it any attention, shattering locks were certainly the least of their worries, don't look a gift-horse in the mouth. Rushing forward through the entry way, they began shouting for their lost friend, praying she was still here and in one piece. They searched the first floor and found nothing. They came to the stairs and dashed up them as fast as they could. All the doors were shut tight except one.

Tifa pushed it open, hesitant at first. The room was dark but she could make out a figure on the bed. She walked slowly, anxious and shaking. She saw long brown hair angelically spread out on the pillows. Looking closely, she saw the blankets rising and falling softly. Cloud entered the room, watching Tifa's every move. He was too nervous to move any closer, afraid that they may have been too late.

"Aeris? Aeris, wake up... wake up!" she shook the sleeping girl's shoulders harshly, pulling her immediately from her dream.

"Ti...fa..?" she raised her head off the pillow for a moment before letting it fall back down. _'He was right... damn him anyway.'_ "Hi, Tifa."

"'Hi, Tifa' is all I get! Oh Aeris, I was so worried!" she nearly tackled Aeris, who yelled out in pain. Cloud rushed over and helped Tifa off the bed. "Are you okay?" Cloud opened the curtains and Aeris was enveloped in sunlight. She struggled to see against the blinding rays. She could only make out Cloud's hair.

Tifa gasped while Cloud looked very angry. "Oh Aeris, look at you! What did he do to you..." There were bruises and bite marks on her neck and shoulders, bruises on her arms from where blood had been drawn. Aeris looked down at her arms, mouth opening slowly to speak but couldn't form words. She hadn't noticed these before now. Tifa threw the blankets off Aeris without remembering that Cloud was standing behind her. He turned around immediately, a bright shade of red covering his face. Tifa inspected Aeris's breasts which were only slightly bruised. Her stomach only had light red marks. Her hips and thighs, however, were stippled in dried blood.

"Aeris... did he...?" Tifa whispered, noticing the blood that dotted the sheets.

"N-no... I.. uh well I... um.." Aeris sighed. How could she ever explain this? She had hoped to have woken up before they arrived so she could clean her self off a little bit. Tifa questioned no more about what had happened. Instead, her focus was making the girl feel better.

"Where is the bathroom?" she pointed to the dark door way. "Okay, can you stand or walk?"Aeris shook her head, her legs felt shaky even still. Tifa walked into the bathroom and grabbed the biggest towel she could find, and went to wrap Aeris in it as gently as she could. "Cloud, I need you to pick Aeris up and bring her into the bathroom, please."

He nodded and turned around. The first thing he noticed was the small amount blood on the bed. His eyes shot to Aeris, scanning her face for the smallest indication of pain. This just kept getting more and more embarrassing by the minute. How much longer before the whole group clambered into the room and began inspecting her? Best to reassure Cloud with a smile for now and an explanation later, she thought. "I'm okay. Well... for the most part. Don't worry!" she was blushing. He scooped her up and carried her into the large bathroom, setting her down on the closed toilet seat.

Tifa began running the water. "Could you please let everyone know she's okay and he isn't here? But come right back, please. We may need you again." He nodded again, unsure if he should speak. He left the bathroom but didn't leave the bedroom right away. Instead, he stayed to listen to what the girls were chatting and giggling about.

"Gosh, Tifa... I am so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you all so much!"

"Why did you leave that night anyway?" Tifa asked, helping Aeris into the tub. She rested her chin on the side, next to her friend's shoulder.

Aeris laid her head on Tifa's. "I really don't know. I heard this strange voice calling to me so I left the Villa to find it. When I did..." she hesitated, would it sound crazy? Sighing, she continued on, doubtful that this would be the craziest part of the story. "This light was there..floating and talking to me. It claimed to be Lucrecia and told me to help Sephiroth. That I could help him. And of course, he showed up."

"And took you?"

"Well, he said to come with him. I figured I didn't stand a chance trying to run. He said I blocked out "Mother's" voice.. Jenova, you know? And he wanted to study me a bit more to find out why."

"Like an animal?" Tifa scoffed.

Aeris only smiled. "I suppose so. But Tifa... he isn't so bad. He was so mislead by all of this."

Tifa sighed heavily. "He's good looking too. But he's our _enemy_."

"I know but doesn't he deserve a second chance? What if he can make it right?" Aeris turned to look Tifa in the eyes.

"I guess so. But how is he gonna make it right? He's done a lot of horrible things in his past..." She reached for a sponge and began gently washing her friend's arm.

"There is something about him, I don't feel the evil when I'm close to him. He's so very gentle."

"It certainly doesn't look like it! Look at these bite marks, jeez!" Tifa held an arm up in the light. Aeris blushed profusely. "I know what you mean. Look, if he can atone for his sins, I don't see why he can't have a second chance. But before you get all excited listen to me. He's done _horrible _things. And Cloud will have the hardest time accepting him. For now, let's focus on what we need to do."

"What's that?"

Tifa smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You gotta tell me all the juicy details!"

* * *

Just outside the Inn, Cloud stopped. None of the information he had just received made any sense to him. He was happier than anything to find Aeris and that she was alive. But everything else seemed so...odd. Bite marks and blood? Why on Gaia would Aeris allow him to even touch her...unless she didn't allow him? But she was so quick to assure him she was alright. Cloud shook his head, thoroughly frustrated. He would have to ask her later, when Tifa wasn't around. No way was he going to get an answer with her around.

He pushed the doors open bravely, announcing in a fairly boring tone that Aeris was indeed okay.

"Well, where is she then?" Yuffie was bouncing around the little lobby.

"Tifa is giving her a bath. I-I'm supposed to head back up there." He shook his head, knowing how _terrible_ that sounded. Cid began to open his mouth but Cloud gave him a death glare. "Right then. I'm off. Be nice to the Inn keeper and get some rest. We'll bring Aeris by in a bit." Cloud knew he should have tried explaining that in a way that it _didn't_ sound like something naughty was afoot but he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge whatever Sephiroth did to Aeris. He turned to leave, hurrying to get back to Tifa and spare himself the jokes that would no doubt be happening. "Thanks Cid." He muttered.

**~End of Chapter Twelve~**

Well it's 7am so I'm gonna post this up and go to bed~


	13. Chapter 13

Tifa sat in the oversized bed next to her best friend, watching her sleep. It really hadn't been that long since she had mysteriously disappeared but it seemed to be forever. The thought of potentially losing Aeris had been plaguing her mind; she couldn't rip the image of an impaled body, pools of blood and maniacal laughter from her mind. Relief had swept over her when she saw Aeris was, for the most part, alright. But that in of itself raised even more questions, many of which just couldn't be answered yet. The biggest question of all; could Sephiroth achieve redemption?

Aeris always believed change was something that began in the soul, an unrelenting desire to stop traveling the path filled with hatred to travel one laden with love. These thoughts always seemed fairy tale like to Tifa. People could change, sure. But could one really just about face on their current path like this? The terrors Sephiroth inflicted in the past twenty years were unimaginable but in the last five alone were _unspeakable_. He'd been a Hero of the war but he was only a "Hero" to the side he fought on. What about the side he fought to kill, to destroy? It was doubtful that they considered him any kind of hero. The things he must have done to achieve victory were beyond Tifa's grasp. But when he destroyed everything Tifa held dear…were those things she could forgive? Her father, her town, Cloud; All broken and burned by Sephiroth's hand.

Looking at Aeris, Tifa sighed heavily. This girl was amazing to everyone she encountered but to Tifa especially. Never had she seen such a person been so willing to accept and forgive almost pure evil. There were so many amazing things in one person it seemed quite cruel an angel such as this had been sent to Gaia. Aeris had a smile that lit up the world, understanding for everyone's faults and eternal love for life. A saint was the only word that came to mind when she looked at her. You just don't see people like this, not this selfless. This girl wanted to save Sephiroth, to save the world. And had been ready to give her life for it, too. She'd always pressed on when things got hard, trying desperately to find the silver lining in every dark cloud. And damn if she didn't, she could make Hell look appealing because "at least it will be warm"! Never a selfish thought or desire ever played across her face.

Until now, maybe. Was Sephiroth something she wanted perhaps? Maybe it wasn't just that she felt he needed redemption but in fact she needed him, _wanted_ him? It wasn't hard to see why, if you can look past all the evil, that is. But was she willing to throw friendships away for it? Tifa could probably accept him, if given time. She loved Aeris dearly and that love might be able to outweigh the terrible things he'd done to her if she could look him in the eye and clearly see the remorse. But Cloud was an entirely different matter.

_Speak of the devil._ She heard heavy boot scuffing the wood down the hall. He'd taken his time but that was understandable, there were a lot of things to contemplate lately. The door opened silently and the distraught blond poked his head through, the confusion written across his face. Tifa waved him in, praying he'd walk softly. Cloud's pain was easy to read and the confusion unbearable for him. But what would soon come would be far worse for him.

"Cloud," Tifa whispered as he gently sat down on the other side of Aeris. "We need to talk and I think you know what it's about."

* * *

Aeris felt comforted by the fact that her friends came for her but still she longed for more. When had she become so selfish, so needy? Surrounded by love yet all she could think of was Sephiroth. His warmth next to her on the chilly sheets, his gentle yet firm touch, those sweet kisses that lingered for eternity. These desires consumed her; she wanted him back so badly. At times she wanted to curse the fact that everyone had come although she would stop herself, they had been so worried over her and here she was, moping over their _enemy._ Although she couldn't bring herself to consider him that anymore, the evil was gone from his heart. Aeris knew that much. But to convince everyone else of it was nearly hopeless.

Sephiroth... he'd mentioned something of being able to stay with her forever but that couldn't happen, could it? That would mean the eradication of Jenova all together. How could she be destroyed? Aeris's conscious thoughts drifted away, blurring the world together.

Warm, safe, loved. These words repeated themselves over and over in her dream world. Foggy images of Holiday parties and birthdays swayed in the distance. Aeris could see outlines of familiar forms but the faces were blank. In the background the sweet mantra changed to that of frustration. Someone was very angry but she couldn't see who. The voice seemed to come from everywhere but nowhere at the same time. She tried to speak to it, tell it to wait a moment for her to find it although try as she might, no words could form. It seemed to grow angrier as another voice pleaded for something and with it, Aeris suddenly felt as though she were falling. Everything around her darkened and her body seemed to be fading with the environment.

"Listen to me!" the pleading voice cried, still unfamiliar but comforting. Aeris opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. _Odd d__ream,_ she lazily thought before the sudden realization of whom the voices in her dream belonged to.

"No, there is no way I will _ever_ forgive him. I'm sorry, Tifa." the other voice said, emotionless and unwavering. In an instant all became clear. Aeris knew these voices now and she knew precisely what they were speaking of. Her heart sank; this did not bode well for her at all.

"Cloud… Cloud please. I know it's not easy, it's not easy for me either! But he chose not to hurt her for some reason. Did you ever think that he might be on our side now?"

He scoffed at her, "Our side? Are you serious Tifa? You saw what he did; you know what he's capable of! We can never trust him."

"He didn't hurt her… Cloud, I think he lov-"

"No. You know he doesn't. He's simply using her to get to us. Even if he doesn't kill her so what? She couldn't possibly take him and he knows it. But if he gets to our good side it would be all too easy for him to wipe us out. And who will stop him then, huh?"

Tifa sighed heavily; she could see this was going nowhere fast. Cloud would never budge on his opinion. "Just think about it, Cloud," Tifa whispered softly. "Please, for Aeris." He was done speaking of it, she was certain of this. Perhaps she was expecting too much of Cloud, asking far more than he could ever give. After all, had Sephiroth not lost his mind entirely things would certainly have had a different outcome. The past would never change though, no matter how much she wished for it to. The future, however, was yet to be determined.

Cloud's weight shifted as he moved off the bed, leaving the room silently. He would see it eventually, Tifa knew. When he does, Cloud will deny it. Aeris meant so much to him and the thought of losing her had driven him near insanity but to lose her heart to Sephiroth was a pain he could not fathom. Whether he liked it or not, Aeris had made her choice and Tifa was going to support her best friend. "Everyone deserves a little happiness in this short life we're given," Tifa whispered to herself.

"I think so too," a soft voice replied, smiling face shining up to her protector. "That's why I won't give up on him, Tifa. He deserves it."

* * *

Ahahahaaaa, I can't even begin to apologize for this! I had not realized it was over a YEAR since my last update! There's been so many things going on in that time.. I can't even begin. And this certainly isn't the place. I aim to finish this though, you guys have my word. Please forgive me. When I last updated I had been torn about which direction to go with this. You see, I wrote a draft of this story so many years ago but it was ah, rather cliché, I think. When I finally sat down and re-wrote it from general memory (nothing specific, just the general plot!) I continued with that plot line. And then I started thinking about it and wondering if I really wanted to do this. So, we'll see. I'm still undecided. I suppose I could do two versions! Well anyway. Thank you all for sticking with me for this long. You're looking at around… five to seven chapters remaining, not quite sure.


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